Factors influencing the adoption of digital platforms for accessing agricultural marketing information in Mbarali District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examines factors influencing the adoption of digital platforms and their effect on smallholder onion farmers’ access to agricultural marketing information in Tanzania’s Mbarali District, specifically at the Igomelo Irrigation Scheme. A cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to a target population of smallholder onion farmers registered at the Igomelo Irrigation Scheme. Simple random sampling was used to select 399 respondents; with the sample size determined using Cochran's formula at a 95% confidence level. The study is grounded in Transaction Cost Theory (TCT), which explains how digital platforms reduce the costs of searching for and accessing agricultural marketing information (AMI), thereby improving farmers’ decision-making and market participation. The study applied the Double Hurdle Model to estimate both the determinants and the extent of digital platform adoption. Key findings revealed that smartphone ownership (p = 0.043), internet access (p = 0.025), and digital training (p = 0.046) positively and significantly influenced adoption. Conversely, off-farm income (p = 0.045), household size (p = 0.041), extension services (p = 0.016), and marital status (p = 0.018) were negatively associated with adoption. The study concludes that digital platforms hold considerable potential to improve smallholder farmers’ access to agricultural marketing information; however, their successful adoption depends critically on adequate digital infrastructure, targeted training programmes, and enabling policy environments. The study recommends investments in rural connectivity, digital literacy education, integration of platforms with formal markets, and the provision of affordable digital tools to maximize the transformative impact on rural agricultural development.