THE ROLE OF MOBILE PHONE FOR GROUNDNUT PRODUCTION AND MARKETING INFORMATION BY SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN GURSUM DISTRICT, FAFAN ZONE, SOMALI REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study intented to investigate the role of mobile phones on groundnut production and marketing information by smallholder farmers in Gursum Werada Fafan Zone in Somali region, Ethiopia.The specific objectives were assessing factors affecting the use of mobile phones to obtain groundnut production and marketing information users of mobile phone aand Challenges and opportunities use of mobile phones to obtain groundnut production and marketing information.Three kebeles from the Gursum district were selected purposively based on their groundnut production potential.A simple random sampling technique method was used to select 137 groundnut farmers.Interview schedules and key informants group discusion were used to collect data. Data were analysed using descreptive statistics including frequency percentage and standard deviation and Inferencial statstics che-squares test,andT-test were used for further more econometric(binary logistic regression model was used for analysed the data).71 (51.825%) were mobile phone users, while 66 (48.575%) were non-mobile phones.Users of and non-users of mobile phones obtained rented tractorPrices of local Marsha plow, prices of hand hoes, prices of groundnut sacks, prices of ox, prices of string, groundnut marketing prices, and informal credit money.In-kind credit local Marsha plow, fertilizer, rented camel transportation on-station demonstrate of improved groundnut varieties and on-farm demonstrate of improved groundnut varieties knowledge sharing, opportunity use of mobile phone save time, reduce the cost of transportation,save energy farmers traveling on foot far log distance in remote areas and increase in farm productivity, inrease in come farmers and participation farmers activities.The resulting model indicated that level of education, sex, age, income, family size and land size are significant variables that affect the use of mobile phone groundnut production and marketing information.It is recommended to provide adult education, electricity, mobile phone training, farmer's awareness use of mobile phone for agricultural extension information, awarness use of mobile phone for.agricultural credit information, farmers awareness use of mobile phone prices agricultural inputs information,provide agricultural extension information services supplies agricultural credit information services supplies prices agricultural inputs information services supplies .agricultural research training services, agricultural research knowledge sharing among farmers groundnut marketing price information, and give farmers mobile phone numbers to communicate with social network groundnut production information services providers and groundnut marketing prices information services users