Citation:

Adetunbi, Saheed Ige, Arowolo Jeremiah Oluyemi. "Level of Awareness and Utilization of Digital Marketing Channels Among Arable Crop Farmers in Surulere Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 288-293, 2023.

Abstract:

Agricultural marketing entails all the services required to transport farm produce from the farm gate to the point of final consumption. Over the years, agricultural marketing has had a high level of sophistication. Information Communication Technology has interfered with how the marketing of agricultural produce is structured. This has closed the distance between producers and consumers of agricultural produce globally. This study examined the Level of Awareness and Utilization of Digital Marketing Channels for Agricultural Produce among arable Crop Farmers in Surulere Local Government, Oyo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select seventy-five (75) Respondents, and data were collected through the use of a well-structured interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, mean and Chi-Square. The study revealed that the majority (74.7%) of the Respondents are youths who are mostly (80%) male farmers. It was observed that radio (100%), mobile phone (97.3%) and television (86.7%) were the most available digital marketing channels. Invariably, Respondents have a high awareness level of usage of Radio, Television and Mobile phones with a Weighted Mean Score- of 1.96, 1.79, and 1.76, respectively. Digital marketing channels such as email and online video marketing, and pay-per-click advertising (Weighted Mean Score- 0.12) had a low level of awareness among respondents. The study established that level of educational attainment, access to digital tools, membership in farmers' organizations and availability of internet facilities are major factors influencing the utilization of digital marketing channels. At the same time, government policies and regulations and the nature of prospective customers were the least factors influencing the utilization of digital marketing channels. The result also indicated that the cost of procuring gadgets, distrust of vendors, lack of technical know-how, inefficient market information, and lack of awareness of common platforms for farmers' use were the major constraints encountered in the utilization of digital marketing channels. The study recommended that Extension Agents should create a community of digital marketing channels Users to enhance awareness of digital marketing and also give adequate training to farmers about digital marketing tools and techniques to create new markets for agricultural produce to tame the physical distance barrier recently created by the global pandemic.

References:

[1] Asogwa, B.C, and Okwoche, V.A. "Marketing of Agricultural Produce among Rural Farm Households in Nigeria: The Case of Sorghum Marketing in Benue State," International Journal of Bussiness and Social Science, (2012).
[2] Florin Sabin Foltean, "Bridging Marketing Theory-practice Gap to Enhance Firm Performance: Introduction to the Special Issue," Journal of Business Research, 104 520-528 (2019).
[3] Gianluca Vagnani, and Corrado Gatti, "A Conceptual Framework of the Adoption of Innovations in Organizations: A Meta-analytical Review of the Literature," Journal of Management and Governance, 23 1023–1062(2019).
[4] Kun-Huang Huarng, Dolores B. C, and Tiffany H. Y "The Effect of Technology, Information, and Marketing on an Interconnected World," Journal of Business Research 129 314-318 (2021).
[5] Nikola. M, Trendov. S. V, and Meng. Z, Digital Technologies in Agriculture and Rural Areas, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, (2019).
[6] W. Craig Riddell Xueda Song, "The Role of Education in Technology Use and Adoption: Evidence from the Canadian Workplace and Employee Survey," Discussion P. 6377, IZA 53072 Bonn Germany, (2012).

Keywords:

Awareness, Digital Marketing Channels, Arable Crops, Utilization, Adoption, Assessment.