Farmers’ intention to use text messaging for extension services in Trinidad

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The effectiveness of new extension approaches hinges on farmers’ willingness to adopt innovative ways to interact with extension. Therefore, this study explored farmers’ willingness to use mobile text messaging for two-way interactions with Ministry Extension officers.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study followed a correlational design and survey data were conveniently collected from 200 farmers of Trinidad.

Findings: Findings showed most farmers of the sample knew how to send and receive text messages, and many owned Internet-enabled smartphones. In addition, most farmers were willing to communicate with extension officers through text messages.

Practical Implications: Ministry Extension should revisit and revise their policies of communicating with farmers. Administrators should encourage extension officers to use SMS to respond to farmers’ requests and information needs.

Theoretical Implications: While the UTAUT provided an appropriate framework for understanding farmers’ use of text messaging, researchers should tailor the moderator variables to the country’s context.

Originality/Value: This study is the first to look at farmers’ willingness to use two-way information communication technologies in Trinidad. Results showed there is potential for Ministry Extension to use text messaging to communicate with farmers.

KEYWORDS:

• Text messaging
• extension
• farmers
• information communication technologies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Lendel K. Narine is an Extension Assistant Professor and Evaluation Specialist at Utah State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida.

Amy Harder is a Professor and Evaluation Specialist at the University of Florida. She is the Director of the Program Development and Evaluation Center (PDEC) at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). PDEC is critical to advancing the evaluation capacity of UF/IFAS Extension.

T. Grady Roberts is a Professor of Agricultural Education at the University of Florida. He is the Director of the Global Education Lab in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. The Global Education Lab is a collaborative effort to advance globally integrated research and education.

ORCID

Lendel K. Narine http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6962-2770

T. Grady Roberts http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7618-7850