Digital Agricultural Extension and Small-Ruminant Farming in Northern Ghana

Abstract:

This study examined the determinants and constraints of mobile phone-enabled agricultural extension services among small-ruminant farmers in Northern Ghana. Cross-sectional data were collected from 406 farmers through purposive and simple random sampling methods. The data is analysed using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. The results show that gender, household size, farmer-based organisation (FBO) membership, and small-ruminant-rearing experience significantly influenced access to mobile-enabled extension on small ruminant production. Male farmers had 16.20 times the odds of access compared with female farmers. Each additional household member was associated with 1.91 times the odds of access, while FBO members had 3.11 times the odds compared with non-members. Each additional year of small-ruminant-rearing experience was associated with 2.35 times the odds of access. Kendall’s ranking identified inadequate electricity coverage as the most important constraint, followed by high device costs, device management costs, difficulty understanding SMS messages, and limited knowledge of mobile phones. The study recommends gender-responsive digital extension, rural electrification, local-language voice services, and integration of mobile and conventional extension systems to enhance the knowledge of small ruminant farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana.