use-of-information-and-communication-technologies-icts-by-intermediaries-in-the-agriculture-sector-insights-from-malidownload-

The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FARA concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers”. [...] To understand how they make use of ICTs in their operations to disseminate or transfer information in Mali, three region“s in the southern part of the country were selected: (i) the Sikasso region, dominantly the cotton zone, (ii) the Segou region, mainly the rice zone, and (iii) the Koulikoro region, considered as the rain-fed cereal and legume zone. [...] Table 24: Frequency of ICT use by extension agents (in percentages) Frequency of Use Computer Radio Tablet features Smartphone Basic Phone phone Daily 9 1 3 4 78 2 Weekly 0 0 0 0 2 0 Monthly 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bimonthly 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterly 0 0 0 0 1 0 Less than quarterly 0 0 0 0 0 0 Never 0 0 0 0 0 0 Source: Surveys, PARI 2021 As shown in Table 25, the main purpose of using ICT devices was agricultural. [...] Some opined that the level of ICT use was even higher before than during the pandemic—perhaps because business for agro-input and output dealers was low during the Covid-19 lockdown; this could also have been due to the fact that access to and knowledge about ICT facilities were low among the actors (both the intermediaries and their partners). [...] According to agricultural inputs dealers, the challenges encountered in the use of ICTs concerned mainly cost of ICT services and devices, and the possibility of being scammed.