TECHNOLOGY PERFORMANCE AND ADOPTION OF MIWA BORA MOBILE APPLICATION AMONG SMALL-SCALE SUGARCANE FARMERS IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Gilbert Weboko Andika, Dr. Godfry K. Makau

Abstract


We are in the era of emerging trends in technology which are being applied in many areas of life, and agricultural sector is taking forefront in realization of successful use of this trends and digital transformation at a snail’s speed around the world. Improving agricultural technology is a global focus aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, profitability and safety for economic growth and improved livelihoods. Many agricultural technologies with potential benefits such as Blockchain, Drones and AI have been developed through research, but their adoption and use by the intended users is the main challenge worldwide. This requires the development of effective mechanisms to improve technology uptake and realize potential benefits among the users. Therefore, this study fills this research gap by analyzing the technology performance and adoption of the Miwa Bora mobile application among small-scale sugarcane farmers in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study was to achieve the following objectives (i) To assess the effect of Miwa Bora mobile application performance, including speed, reliability, and scalability on its adoption among small-scale sugarcane farmers in Kakamega County.  To evaluate how facilitating conditions, such as network availability, smartphone accessibility, and technical support, affect the adoption and effective use of the Miwa Bora mobile application. The study employed a descriptive research design. The theoretical framework of the research was based on the Theory of reasoned action (TRA), and Theory of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) of adoption of new technologies among the intended users. This study used a drop-and-pick method in the data collection process. Quantitative data was collected using a survey questionnaire with a 1-5 Likert scale and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS version 28) and presented in percentages, mean, standard deviation and frequency. Information was compiled and presented using tables and pros format on a word document.

Key Words: Technology Performance, Application Performance, Facilitating Conditions, Adoption, Miwa Bora Mobile Application, Small-Scale Sugarcane Farmers 


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