In recent years, digital tools and services have become increasingly crucial for smallholder farming operations, particularly in underdeveloped countries. These technologies are invaluable in offering services such as advisory services, weather forecasts, and market updates to farmers. The study assessed the deployment of digital tools for agricultural information delivery on family farms, determined farmers’ knowledge, and the level of farmers’ perception of digital tools in disseminating information on family farming, as well as the level of utilization and constraints to their use. Three hundred farmers were randomly selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure across the selected States of southwestern Nigeria. Descriptive statistical tools were utilized to organise and describe the data. Multiple regression model was used for hypothesis testing. The results indicated a high level of farmers' knowledge in Facebook, video calls, WhatsApp, and Dropbox utilization. The results further show that farmers in the study area had sufficient expertise in utilizing Facebook for social engagement (mean =2.11), WhatsApp for obtaining information on agricultural techniques (mean = 2.19), and Zoom for personal communication (mean = 2.17). The majority of the farmers had moderate utilization of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Zoom. A significant percentage had never utilized digital tools like Wikis, Instagram, and YouTube. Several challenges limit farmers’ use of digital tools, including unreliable internet, inconsistent electricity supply, inadequate knowledge and skills, and the high costs of the tools. Furthermore, the study found that farmers in the three states did not differ significantly in their use of digital tools. The study recommends that farmers receive training on nearly all of the digital tools identified. This training is essential if these tools are to truly empower family farmers and help promote sustainable agricultural production across Nigeria.
In recent years, digital tools and services have become increasingly crucial for smallholder farming operations, particularly in underdeveloped countries. These technologies are invaluable in offering services such as advisory services, weather forecasts, and market updates to farmers.
