Effectiveness of mobile phone supported market information dissemination in promoting Agricultural marketing in Northern Uganda

Over three-thirds of farmers in Uganda are subsistence farmers and market less than 10 percent of their output. The high cost of marketing is one of the reasons for remaining at the subsistence level. An appropriate agricultural market information service can improve market performance by enabling transparency, competitiveness and efficiency and increase the welfare of farmers. There is today better access to market information service via mobile phones. However to date, there is little empirical evidence on the perceived effectiveness of mobile phone supported market information services under small holder farming systems in Uganda. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the factors determining effectiveness of mobile phone supported market information and farmers’ perceived effectiveness of mobile phone supported market information. A multi stage sampling technique was employed to select 156 respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis and ordered logit model. Results showed that family size, reliability, accuracy and form in which the information is given determined the effectiveness of mobile phone supported market information. However, the majority of respondents found the services ineffective and most respondents were not aware of the existence of the mobile phone supported market information in their area. It was therefore recommended that service providers should consider the quality and content of the information before delivery to the farmers. Rigorous monitoring and evaluation involving the main stakeholders should be carried out to ensure sustainability.