Pakistan is the 8th leading producer of global wheat production. (FAOSTAT, 2019). 76.38 million people or 35% of its population are using Internet Technology (IT). IT innovations help develop new ways to make farming more efficient and grow more food. (Khan, et.al.2021)

The researchers are from agriculture colleges in universities located in China, USA, and Saudi Arabia. The study used a data set of 628 wheat farmers from 4 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province in Pakistan. The 2021 study used the bivariate probit method. 

On average, 65% of wheat farmers have mobile devices supporting Internet technologies, and 55% use MIT in agricultural environments. The results highlight the need for reliable MIT services like mobile broadband coverage in rural wheat farms. Additionally, the findings indicate that farmers who understand the IT risks are more inclined to adopt MIT. With this, measures to ensure online security shall be provided. It was also found that the farmer’s age, and the farm’s size and location are related to their MIT adoption rate.

The study was limited by the pandemic and its results are not inclusive of all rural Pakistan. The researchers hope this will serve as a starting point for more future ICT research in the region’s agriculture.

Find out more here.

REFERENCES:

Khan, N.; Ray, R.L.; Kassem, H.S.; Zhang, S. Mobile Internet Technology Adoption for Sustainable Agriculture: Evidence from Wheat Farmers. Appl. Sci. 2022, 12, 4902. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12104902 

Khan, N.; Ray, R.L.; Kassem, H.S.; Hussain, S.; Zhang, S.; Khayyam, M.; Ihtisham, M.; Asongu, S.A. Potential Role of Technology Innovation in Transformation of Sustainable Food Systems: A Review. Agriculture 2021, 11, 984

Trendov, M.; Varas, S.; Zeng, M. Digital Technologies in Agriculture and Rural Areas: Status Report; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2019.

Photo: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security – Flickr

Article contributed by Charlene Esteban, ComDev Asia intern