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Effect of Extension Training on Farmers’ Use of Digital Platforms for Agricultural Produce Sales

Abstract

Digital platforms have increasingly provided farmers with alternative channels for marketing and selling agricultural produce. These platforms include online marketplaces, social media platforms, mobile applications, e-commerce websites, and other digital channels that enable farmers to display products, communicate with buyers, negotiate prices, receive orders, and arrange payments. Extension training can provide farmers with the knowledge and practical skills required to understand and use these platforms effectively. Examining the effect of extension training on farmers’ use of digital platforms is therefore important for understanding the contribution of agricultural extension to modern produce marketing. This study will examine the effect of extension training on farmers’ use of digital platforms for agricultural produce sales. It will assess farmers’ exposure to extension training and determine how such training influences their knowledge and use of digital platforms for marketing farm produce. The study will also examine the frequency of farmers’ use of digital platforms, the types of platforms used, and the different activities performed through these platforms when selling agricultural products. The study will focus on farmers’ use of online agricultural marketplaces, social media platforms, mobile applications, e-commerce websites, and digital trading platforms. It will examine their use for creating product listings, displaying agricultural produce, communicating with buyers, comparing prices, negotiating sales, receiving orders, making and receiving electronic payments, arranging delivery, and maintaining digital sales records. The study will also consider farmers’ digital literacy, access to smartphones, internet connectivity, availability of extension training, transaction costs, and confidence in conducting online agricultural sales. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from farmers using structured questionnaires designed to obtain information on their exposure to extension training, knowledge of digital sales platforms, frequency of use, and applications of these platforms in agricultural produce marketing. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, while correlation and regression analysis may be used to examine the relationship between extension training and farmers’ use of digital platforms for produce sales. The study is expected to reveal that farmers with greater exposure to extension training may demonstrate higher levels of knowledge and use of digital platforms for agricultural produce sales. Extension training may improve farmers’ ability to create digital product listings, communicate with buyers, access market information, negotiate prices, process transactions, and promote their produce to wider markets. However, challenges such as limited digital literacy, poor internet connectivity, high data costs, inadequate access to smartphones, concerns about online fraud, and limited technical support may restrict the effective use of digital sales platforms. The study will be useful to farmers, agricultural extension agents, digital agricultural platform providers, farmer organisations, agricultural marketing agencies, government institutions, policymakers, and researchers. The findings may provide useful information on the role of extension training in strengthening farmers’ digital marketing capabilities and improving their access to potential buyers. Extension organisations may use the findings to design practical digital marketing training programmes, while platform providers and policymakers may use the information to improve the accessibility and usability of digital agricultural marketing services. The study concludes that extension training can contribute to improving farmers’ use of digital platforms for agricultural produce sales by providing relevant knowledge, practical skills, and continuous technical guidance. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension programmes incorporate digital marketing education into their training activities through practical demonstrations, hands-on exercises, mobile learning, and continuous advisory support. Relevant stakeholders should also promote affordable internet access, digital literacy, secure online transactions, and user-friendly digital platforms to encourage farmers to participate effectively in digital agricultural produce markets.

Keywords: Extension training, farmers’ use, digital platforms, agricultural produce sales, digital marketing, agricultural marketing, online marketplaces, e-commerce, social media, digital agriculture, market access, digital literacy, farm produce, electronic payments, agricultural extension.