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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 2
Publication Date: February 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.92.11846. Shehata, G. A. B., El-Habal, A. Z. M., El-Sharbatly, S. I., & Abdulrazzaq, A. H. (2022) Impact of Farmers’ Use of Information Technology
to Improve Agricultural Marketing Extension Services in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
9(2). 298-314.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Impact of Farmers’ Use of Information Technology to Improve
Agricultural Marketing Extension Services in Wasit Governorate,
Iraq
Gaber A. B. Shehata
Dept. of Agric. Econ., Fac. of Agri. (Saba Basha), Alex. Uni., Egypt
Abo Zaid M El-Habal
Dept. of Agric. Econ., Fac. of Agri. (Saba Basha), Alex. Uni., Egypt
Souzan I. El-Sharbatly
Dept. of Agric. Econ., Fac. of Agri. (Saba Basha), Alex. Uni., Egypt
Ali H. Abdulrazzaq
Dept. of Agric. Econ., Fac. of Agri. (Saba Basha), Alex. Uni., Egypt
ABSTRACT
The research presented in the study of the impact of farmers’ use of Information
Technology (IT) in the field of improving agricultural marketing extension services
indicates the small number of researches that dealt with this topic as one of the
mechanisms of agricultural extension work, hence the importance of theoretical
and applied research. The agricultural sector in Iraq seeks to reach advanced stages
in agriculture in general, which must keep pace with the development of
agricultural production methods that have developed greatly over the past years.
Therefore, farmers in Iraq, with the diversity of agricultural fields that they
practice, are in dire need of correct and integrated marketing information about
crops. Which are produced and the marketing methods and tools that suit each crop,
and in particular the main strategic important crops that represent the main food
for the Iraqi people, such as grains, vegetables and In order to modernize
agriculture, all kinds of agricultural technological progress must be put into
practice, which is in line with the concept of guidance in general in conscious
influence in the minds of farmers through the transfer of information and
knowledge to help them make a sound decision in the use of modern technology.
The main objective of this research is to identify the impact of farmers' use of
information technology (IT) to improve agricultural marketing extension services
in Wasit Governorate, Iraq, and its relationship to some social and economic
characteristics of farmers in the research area. Based on the result of the research,
the model of estimating the value of the multiple regression coefficients between
the studied independent variables and the dependent variable, the impact of
farmers' use of information technology (IT) in the field of agricultural marketing
includes fifteen independent variables, and the significance of the model as a whole
has been clarified based on the ratio (P), which amounted to about (15,530), in
addition to that these variables contribute to explaining 72% of the changes
occurring in the variable The effect of farmers’ use of information technology (IT)
in the field of agricultural marketing services based on the coefficient of
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299
Shehata, G. A. B., El-Habal, A. Z. M., El-Sharbatly, S. I., & Abdulrazzaq, A. H. (2022) Impact of Farmers’ Use of Information Technology to Improve
Agricultural Marketing Extension Services in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(2). 298-314.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.92.11846
determination (R2), and it was clear from this model the significance of the effect of
each of the independent variables, namely: the age of the farmers surveyed,
agricultural experience, the number of respondents’ family members, and the
number of workers The respondents' farm, the type of agricultural land holding, the
means of transportation for marketing agricultural crops, and the respondents'
knowledge level.
Keywords: Information Technology - Agricultural Marketing – Agricultural Extension –
Wasit Governorate - Iraq
INTRODUCTION
The research presented in the study of the impact of farmers’ use of Information Technology
(IT) in the field of improving agricultural marketing extension services indicates the small
number of researches that dealt with this topic as one of the mechanisms of agricultural
extension work, hence the importance of theoretical and applied research.
THEORETICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The theoretical importance of this research is that it is considered one of the important research
that deals with the impact of farmers’ use of information technology (IT) in improving
marketing extension services in Wasit Governorate in Iraq, as well as the compilation of some
scientific efforts conducted on the topic of research in the field of studying the impact of
farmers’ use of information technology (IT) ) in improving agricultural marketing extension
services, as well as identifying some of the variables associated with it towards the impact of
the use of information technology (IT) in improving agricultural marketing extension services,
as well as contributing to providing research results that can be relied upon in subsequent
studies and research in other regions, There is no doubt that this research, with its scientific
method, the concepts and terminology it contains, the variables and research hypotheses that
it contains, the statistical methods that have been used in it, and the research results that have
been reached, may be useful in highlighting the relative importance of the studied variables.
The scientific method used and the standards used in conducting similar future studies in order
to reach scientific results that are useful in confirming or refuting the results of previous studies
in order to complete scientific efforts on the grounds that science is cumulative.
PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE
The practical importance of this research is clear from what will result from scientific results
derived from the actual reality of the impact of farmers’ use of information technology (IT) in
improving agricultural marketing extension services and interest in spreading and adopting the
use of computers, mobile phones and the Internet in agricultural marketing extension as a
modern means of communication through the impact of using Farmers of information
technology (IT) in improving agricultural marketing extension services and the extent to which
farmers’ knowledge and application benefit from using information technology (IT) to improve
agricultural marketing extension services, thus, identifying and consolidating the strengths,
identifying weaknesses and trying to avoid them in the future marketing extension programs
directed to farmers and related to the use of information technology (IT) by those responsible
for planning and implementing those agricultural marketing extension programs and activities.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 2, February-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
RESEARCH PROBLEM
The agricultural sector in Iraq seeks to reach advanced stages in agriculture in general, which
must keep pace with the development of agricultural production methods that have developed
greatly over the past years. Therefore, farmers in Iraq, with the diversity of agricultural fields
that they practice, are in dire need of correct and integrated marketing information about crops.
Which are produced and the marketing methods and tools that suit each crop, and in particular
the main strategic important crops that represent the main food for the Iraqi people, such as
grains, vegetables and fruits (Hanoush: 2013, p. 83)
In order to modernize agriculture, all kinds of agricultural technological progress must be put
into practice, which is in line with the concept of guidance in general in conscious influence in
the minds of farmers through the transfer of information and knowledge to help them make a
sound decision in the use of modern technology (Al-Habal: 2019, p. 12),
In the field of agricultural marketing, a lot of marketing problems appear as a result of several
reasons, the most important of which is the farmers’ lack of knowledge of the appropriate
methods for marketing their production of agricultural crops, as well as their lack of knowledge
of the quantity and quality of demand for those crops before starting the production process,
as it may be less than enough to achieve the amount of demand for them in the markets or more
than that, and that such problems are often the result of economic or natural conditions beyond
the control of farmers and are just as important as production problems as well as problems
related to agricultural marketing operations and services, because obtaining a high price as a
result of following the correct marketing services and functions means a decrease in differences
or marketing margins, which It means reducing marketing costs and then getting the maximum
profit. Also, low-cost production yields a lot of profit. Therefore, the treatment of these
agricultural marketing problems is more necessary, and therefore it must be addressed before
actually starting agricultural production (Bassyouni: 2013, p. 124).
Therefore, it was necessary to resort to a modern method to keep pace with the development,
through the use of Information Technology (IT) to improve agricultural marketing extension
services for farmers, as it is necessary to take advantage of the development in modern
technology in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The fact that information and communication technology plays a vital and important role to
achieve human, social, economic and cultural development because of its characteristics and
characteristics that have a communicative efficiency that are more influential than traditional
methods of communication through the speed of global spread, transcending all spatial and
temporal boundaries, including information and knowledge that mostly meet the needs of
individuals in every time and place, very quickly and less costly through the distinction of
information and communication technology with its characteristics that distinguish it from
other technology. Among the most important of these characteristics is the reduction of time,
small size, low cost, the possibility of interaction between the sender and the receiver,
comprehensiveness, the formation of communication networks, the flow of information, and
the possibility of receiving messages at any time. Through this technology, the receiver can be
a sender and receiver at the same time. And transferability, mass, prevalence and spread
(Khalil: 2021, p. 5).