ADOPTION OF MOBILE-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM AMONG SUGARCANE FARMERS IN INDIA

Ritik  Kumar; Anuj  Tomar; Anu  Sharma; Rakesh Singh  Negi

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i7s.2026.7908

Authors

Ritik Kumar Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, School of Social Sciences, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India
Anuj Tomar Research Scholar, Department of African Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Anu Sharma Research Scholar, Department of Society-Technology Interface, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan, India
Rakesh Singh Negi Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, School of Social Sciences, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i7s.2026.7908

Keywords:

Digital Inclusion, Smallholder Farmers, Digital Divide, Socio-Economic Impact, Sustainability, Information System, India

Abstract [English]

Across the global South, smallholder farmers face problems accessing information that limits their ability to participate fully in rural development. Mobile-based information systems can act as a catalyst for the digital inclusion of farmers and can improve their social, economic, and informational capacities. The study applied the Socio-technical system theory to analyse the adoption of information systems among farmers for their digital inclusion. The study adopted a descriptive research design, and the multi-stage purposive sampling was used for collecting data from 320 smallholder farmers in the region. Result highlights that the socio-economic characteristics of farmers are corelated with the adoption of information systems among farmers. In addition, they face challenges such as affordability, digital literacy and trust in adopting the information system. Finally, the findings of study have significant implications for researchers studying the relationship between society and technology and for policymakers designing digital policies related to the digital inclusion of rural communities.

References

Addo, F. and Salhofer, K., 2022. Transient and persistent technical efficiency and its determinants: the case of crop farms in Austria. Applied Economics, 54(25), pp.2916-2932. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2021.2000580

Adebayo O, Bolarin O, Oyewale A, Kehinde O. Impact of irrigation technology use on crop yield, crop income and household food security in Nigeria: a treatment effect approach. AIMS Agric Food. 2018;3(2):154–71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3934/agrfood.2018.2.154

Ahmadi, S., Amendolagine, V. and LaSala, P., 2025. Unpacking the impacts of digitalization of knowledge transfer in agri-food sector, through sociotechnical systems theory: a systematic literature review. Agricultural and Food Economics, 13(1), p.51

Ahmadi, S., Amendolagine, V. and LaSala, P., 2025. Unpacking the impacts of digitalization of knowledge transfer in agri-food sector, through sociotechnical systems theory: a systematic literature review. Agricultural and Food Economics, 13(1), p.51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00393-3

Akinola, A.A., 2017. Influence of socio-economic factors on farmers’ use of mobile phones for agricultural information in Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1688, pp.1-14.

Andika, G.W. and Makau, G.K., 2025. Technology Performance and Adoption of Miwa Bora Mobile Application among Small-Scale Sugarcane Farmers in Kakamega County, Kenya. International Journal of Social Sciences Management and Entrepreneurship (IJSSME), 9(1)

Asif, A.S., Uddin, M.N., Dev, D.S. and Miah, M.A.M., 2017. Factors affecting mobile phone usage by the farmers in receiving information on vegetable cultivation in Bangladesh. Journal of Agricultural Informatics, 8(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.17700/jai.2017.8.2.376

Barnes, A.P., Soto, I., Eory, V., Beck, B., Balafoutis, A., Sánchez, B., Vangeyte, J., Fountas, S., van der Wal, T. and Gómez-Barbero, M., 2019. Exploring the adoption of precision agricultural technologies: A cross regional study of EU farmers. Land use policy, 80, pp.163-174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.10.004

Bostrom, R.P. and Heinen, J.S., 1977. MIS problems and failures: A socio-technical perspective. Part I: The causes. MIS quarterly, pp.17-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/248710

Bostrom, R.P., Gupta, S. and Thomas, D., 2009. A meta-theory for understanding information systems within sociotechnical systems. Journal of management information systems, 26(1), pp.17-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222260102

Caine, A., Dorward, P., Clarkson, G., Evans, N., Canales, C., Stern, D. and Stern, R., 2015. Mobile applications for weather and climate information: their use and potential for smallholder farmers.

Canton, H., 2021. Organisation for economic co-operation and development—OECD. In The Europa Directory of international organizations 2021 (pp. 677-687). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003179900-102

Chauke, P.K., Motlhatlhana, M.L., Pfumayaramba, T.K. and Anim, F.D.K., 2013. Factors influencing access to credit: A case study of smallholder farmers in the Capricorn district of South Africa. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 8(7), pp.582-585.

Chikaire, J.U., Anaeto, F.C., Emerhirhi, E. and Orusha, J.O., 2017. Effects of Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Farmers’ Agricultural Practices and Welfare in Orlu Agricultural Zone of Imo State, NigeriaUDS International Journal of Development, 4(1), pp.92-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22259/ijraf.0403002

Clegg, C.W., 2000. Sociotechnical principles for system design. Applied ergonomics, 31(5), pp.463-477. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-6870(00)00009-0

Davis, F.D., 1989. Technology acceptance model: TAM. Al-Suqri, MN, Al-Aufi, AS: Information Seeking Behavior and Technology Adoption, 205(219), p.5.

Diagne A, Demont M. Taking a new look at empirical models of adoption: average treatment effect estimation of adoption rates and their determinants. Agri Econ. 2007;37(2–3):201–10 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00266.x

Dibbern, T., Romani, L.A.S. and Massruhá, S.M.F.S., 2024. Main drivers and barriers to the adoption of Digital Agriculture technologies. Smart Agricultural Technology, 8, p.100459. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100459

Feder G, Umali DL. The adoption of agricultural innovations: a review. Technol Forecast Soc Change. 1993; 43:215–39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1625(93)90053-A

Giua, C., Materia, V.C. and Camanzi, L., 2021. Management information system adoption at the farm level: evidence from the literature. British Food Journal, 123(3), pp.884-909. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2020-0420

Glendenning, C.J. and Ficarelli, P.P., 2012. The relevance of content in ICT initiatives in Indian agriculture.

Haider, J. and Sundin, O., 2022. Information literacy challenges in digital culture: conflicting engagements of trust and doubt. Information, communication & society, 25(8), pp.1176-1191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1851389

Hariyanto, H. and Anwar, M., 2019, April. Socio-technical approach to agricultural information systems development. In 1st International Conference on Advanced Multidisciplinary Research (ICAMR 2018) (pp. 469-474). Atlantis Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/icamr-18.2019.113

Hemathilake, D.M.K.S. and Gunathilake, D.M.C.C., 2022. Agricultural productivity and food supply to meet increased demands. In Future foods (pp. 539-553). Academic Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91001-9.00016-5

Jones, P., Wynn, M.G., Hillier, D. and Comfort, D., 2017. The sustainable development goals and information and communication technologies. Indonesian Journal of Sustainability Accounting and Management, 1(1), pp.1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.28992/ijsam.v1i1.22

Kolapo, A. and Didunyemi, A.J., 2024. Effects of exposure on adoption of agricultural smartphone apps among smallholder farmers in Southwest, Nigeria: implications on farm-level-efficiency. Agriculture & Food Security, 13(1), p.31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-024-00485-1

Kushwaha, A.K., Kar, A.K., Roy, S.K. and Ilavarasan, P.V., 2022. Capricious opinions: A study of polarization of social media groups. Government Information Quarterly, 39(3), p.101709. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2022.101709

Kusumaningsih, N., 2023. The technical efficiency of rice farming and mobile phone usage: a stochastic frontier analysis. Food Research, 7(1), pp.93-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.7(1).595

Landmann, D., Lagerkvist, C.J. and Otter, V., 2021. Determinants of small-scale farmers’ intention to use smartphones for generating agricultural knowledge in developing countries: evidence from rural India. The European Journal of Development Research, 33(6), pp.1435-1454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00284-x

Luqman, M., Yaseen, M., Ashraf, S., Mehmood, M.U. and Karim, M., 2019. Factors influencing use of information and communication technologies among farmers in rural Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 23(2), pp.101-112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/jae.v23i2.11

Masuka, B., Matenda, T., Chipomho, J., Mapope, N., Mupeti, S., Tatsvarei, S. and Ngezimana, W., 2016. Mobile phone use by small-scale farmers: A potential to transform production and marketing in Zimbabwe. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 44(2), pp.121-135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2016/v44n2a406

Mdoda, L. and Mdiya, L., 2022. Factors affecting the using information and communication technologies (ICTs) by livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape province. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), p.2026017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2026017

Mdoda, L. and Obi, A., 2019. Analysis of profitability of smallholder Irrigated food plots in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development, 53(3), pp.225-232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17306/J.JARD.2019.01265

Mdoda, L., Christian, M. and Agbugba, I., 2024. Use of Information systems (Mobile phone app) for enhancing smallholder farmers’ Productivity in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: implications on food security. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(1), pp.1993-2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01212-0

Meesala, H. and Brunori, G., 2025. Dynamics of Using Digital Technologies in Agroecological Settings: A Case Study Approach. Agriculture, 15(15), p.1636. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151636

Michels, M., Bonke, V. and Musshoff, O., 2020. Understanding the adoption of smartphone apps in crop protection. Precision Agriculture, 21(6), pp.1209-1226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-020-09715-5

Moinuddin, S., 2017. Uttar Pradesh: The Heartland of Indian Politics and Polity. In Mediascape and The State: A Geographical Interpretation of Image Politics in Uttar Pradesh, India (pp. 61-93). Cham: Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51932-6_3

Morris, A., 2009. Socio-technical systems in ICT: A comprehensive survey.

Muriithi, A.G., Bett, E. and Ogaleh, S.A., 2009, October. Information technology for agriculture and rural development in Africa: Experiences from Kenya. In Conference on international research on food security, natural resource management and rural development (Vol. 6, No. 8, pp. 20-25)

Nwafor, C.U., Ogundeji, A.A. and van der Westhuizen, C., 2020. Marketing information needs and Seeking behaviour of Smallholder livestock Farmers in the eastern cape province, South Africa. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 24(3), pp.98-114 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/jae.v24i3.9

Obayelu, A.E., Afolami, C.A., Folorunso, O., Adebayo, A.M. and Ashimolowo, O.R., 2023. Impact of adoption of mobile-based Information Communication Technologies on production efficiencies among smallholder farmers in the southwest of Nigeria. Tropical Agriculture, 100(1), pp.44-58.

Onyeneke, C.J., Umeh, G.N. and Onyeneke, R.U., 2022. Impact of climate information services on crop yield in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Climate, 11(1), p.7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11010007

Pattanaik, D. and Chatterjee, J., 2009, June. Socio-technical innovation and the role of conversation in a digital ecosystem for agricultural extension services in india. In 2009 3rd IEEE International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies (pp. 709-714). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/DEST.2009.5276721

Raza, A., Safdar, M., Adnan Shahid, M., Shabir, G., Khil, A., Hussain, S., Khan, M., Aziz, S.U.R., Azam, S., Sattar, J. and Muhammad, N.E., 2024. Climate change impacts on crop productivity and food security: an overview. Transforming agricultural management for a sustainable future: Climate change and machine learning perspectives, pp.163-186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63430-7_8

Razaque, A. and Sallah, M., 2013. The use of mobile phone among farmers for agriculture development. Int. J. Sci. Res, 2, pp.95-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15373/22778179/JUNE2013/31

Rogers, E.M. (2003) Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press, New York.

Shang, Y. and Xiong, T., 2021. The impact of farmers’ assessments of risk management strategies on their adoption willingness. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 20(12), pp.3323-3338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63749-8

Shanthy, T.R., Rao, C.V.B. and Chauhan, J.K., 2022. Mobile use pattern of sugarcane growers in Kamareddy district, Telangana State. Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 22(5), pp.275-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54986/irjee/2022/dec_spl/275-282

Shimamoto, D., Yamada, H. and Gummert, M., 2015. Mobile phones and market information: Evidence from rural Cambodia. Food Policy, 57, pp.135-141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.10.005

Sikundla, T., Mushunje, A. and Akinyemi, B.E., 2018. Socioeconomic drivers of mobile phone adoption for marketing among smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa. Cogent Social Sciences, 4(1), p.1505415. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2018.1505415

Sileyew, K.J., 2019. Research design and methodology. In Cyberspace. IntechOpen.

Sony, M. and Naik, S., 2020. Industry 4.0 integration with socio-technical systems theory: A systematic review and proposed theoretical model. Technology in society, 61, p.101248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101248

Tambo, J.A., Aliamo, C., Davis, T., Mugambi, I., Romney, D., Onyango, D.O., Kansiime, M., Alokit, C. and Byantwale, S.T., 2019. The impact of ICT-enabled extension campaign on farmers’ knowledge and management of fall armyworm in Uganda. PloS one, 14(8), p.e0220844. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220844

Tripepi, G., Jager, K.J., Dekker, F.W. and Zoccali, C., 2008. Linear and logistic regression analysis. Kidney international, 73(7), pp.806-810. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ki.5002787

Wawire, A.W., Csorba, Á., Tóth, J.A., Michéli, E., Szalai, M., Mutuma, E. and Kovács, E., 2021. Soil fertility management among smallholder farmers in Mount Kenya East region. Heliyon, 7(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06488

Wooldridge, J.M., 2009. On estimating firm-level production functions using proxy variables to control for unobservables. Economics letters, 104(3), pp.112-114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2009.04.026