1) Access to market prices: Mobile phones allow farmers to gain access to vital information about prices of crops before they travel long distances to markets. … Farmers can then receive information on their policy, as well as payouts based on rainfall, in SMS messages.
What effects can mobile phones have on farmers in Africa?
On their phones, farmers are receiving information about crop diseases and current prices being paid for their crops at market, while they can also get the latest weather information, details on rains, and also early warning about impending weather events that might threaten their crops, or their homes.
How mobile phones help farmers?
Mobiles can help farmers improve agricultural productivity by giving them access to basic financial services, new agricultural techniques and new markets, in turn helping them to secure better prices for crops and a better return on investments.
How has mobile phone use improved incomes for smallholder farmers?
Results show a positive association between mobile phone use for agricultural activities and reported maize yields. Further, many farmers report that mobile phone use increases agricultural profits (67% of respondents) and decreases the costs (50%) and time investments (47%) of farming.
How are mobile phones used in rural Africa?
They are creating mobile phone applications for profitable and nonprofit ventures across the continent. Millions of Africans, for example, now use their mobile phones to transfer money, turn on water wells, learn soccer game scores and buy and sell goods.
How is a phone related to agriculture?
Mobile technology is especially transformative for the agriculture sector. … 1) Access to market prices: Mobile phones allow farmers to gain access to vital information about prices of crops before they travel long distances to markets.
Can mobile phones improve agricultural outcomes evidence from a randomized experiment in Niger?
Yet despite the proliferation of mobile phone-based interventions in the agricultural sector, there is mixed evidence on their impact. We report the results of a randomized evaluation in Niger, in which rural households increased their access to information technology and their capacity to use it.
Do farmers have phones?
Farmers are using their smartphones for routine tasks, such as checking commodity prices, identifying weeds and pests, as well as checking the activity of watering equipment. Smartphones provide portability and expediency in remote areas.
How many Indian farmers use smartphones?
“India has 120 million farmers, out of which 30 million use smartphones and have a basic sense of understanding about digital marketplaces.”
What are the key benefits and challenges related to mobile phones and agricultural livelihoods?
Topic Note 3.1: Key Benefits and Challenges Related to Mobile Phones and Agricultural Livelihoods. Mobile phones may help to increase income, improve the efficiency of markets, reduce transaction costs, and offer a great opportunity for innovative interventions, especially in service delivery.
How mobile phones contribute to growth of small farmers evidence from India?
In India, increased penetration of mobile handsets, large number of potential users, increased spread of communication, and low cost of usage lead to growth of large number of mobile based information delivery models for the agricultural sector.
Is a program developed for smartphones or tablets running a mobile operating system?
Android (based on the modified Linux kernel) is a mobile operating system developed by Google. The base system is open-source (and only the kernel copyleft), but the apps and drivers which provide functionality are increasingly becoming closed-source.
Is a software that allows smartphones and other devices to run applications and programs?
A mobile operating system (OS) is the software that allows mobile devices like phones, tablets and other smart devices like wearable technology to run applications and other programs. Most mobile operating systems only work on specific hardware. For example, an iPhone runs on iOS and a Google Pixel runs on Android.
How many Africans have access to mobile phones?
The World Bank and African Development Bank report there are 650 million mobile users in Africa, surpassing the number in the United States or Europe. In some African countries more people have access to a mobile phone than to clean water, a bank account or electricity, the agencies add.
How many Africans have a mobile phone?
In recent years, mobile phone penetration is sub-Saharan Africa has increased dramatically. According to the most recent report from GSMA, an association of mobile network operators worldwide, there are 747 million SIM connections in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 75% of the population.
What is the most common phone in Africa?
Apple’s iPhone is the most popular and most talked about phone on the continent, yet the phone still remains a high-end phone that many Africans are not able to afford and or maintain on a daily basis.