Online Agricultural Extension Based on Internet Communication Principles

Abstract

The important role agricultural growth plays in mitigating poverty, economic growth stimulation as well as development in emerging economies like Kenya cannot be over stated. Available literature shows that agriculture is a key driver of economic growth and development strategies in attaining sustainable poverty reduction. ICT acts as an enabler when addressing food security with such factors as legal framework, policy, knowledge, markets, technology, and research among others. Information and skills gaps have kept most subsistence farming systems to much less productive and lucrative than they could be. Further, extension services are always often faced with the problem of underfunding, weak link between farmers and agricultural research agencies as well as lack acceptable contact to farmers. The problem is exacerbated by lack of coordination along the agricultural value chain from farm inputs to food processing, which increases the cost of production and lowers farmers’ revenue. The aim of this paper is to investigate the perception stakeholders in agricultural value chain have on online agricultural extension services as well as the challenges associated with the same.