Journal of
Agricultural Extension and Rural Development

  • Abbreviation: J. Agric. Ext. Rural Dev
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2170
  • DOI: 10.5897/JAERD
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 484

Article in Press

ICT in Greenhouse Farming: Smallholder Farmers Training Programme in Kenya

Martina Mutheu

  •  Received: 04 May 2018
  •  Accepted: 04 June 2018
Increasing agricultural production is critical in reducing poverty as it boosts farmers’ income especially smallholder farmers who have limited resources to leverage in growing and marketing their produce. Greenhouse farming has been identified as a viable technology for smallholder farmers to venture in as it promises high returns from limited land resources and labour. With diminishing support from extension officers in Kenya and the advent of ICTs, smallholder farmers can be empowered to take charge of their livelihoods. This paper discusses the usefulness of ICT interventions identified and adopted by farmers during KARLO/FtF capacity building training program held in five cluster regions in Kenya in 2017. Farmers will be able to use ICTs available to them to share experiences and seek information, buy and sell through online platforms, mobilise savings and access financial services from their mobile phones, use in build computer programs for record keeping and financial management as well as adopt technologies by simply watching videos and demonstrations from online sources among other possibilities.

Keywords: Greenhouse farming, ICT, Smallholder farmers, feed the future