Participation in WhatsApp and Facebook Farmer Groups and Adoption of Smart Agriculture Techniques among Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between participation in WhatsApp and Facebook farmer groups and the adoption of smart agriculture techniques among smallholder farmers in Oyo State. A cross-sectional survey of 392 farmers across three agricultural zones was conducted over five months using structured questionnaires. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multiple regression. Findings revealed that 71.2% of farmers used WhatsApp groups, 48.5% used Facebook, and 34.4% used both platforms. Farmers with high participation (daily/weekly) adopted an average of 8.7 smart practices, compared to 2.3 among low-participation farmers, indicating a significant adoption gap of 36.3 percentage points (χ² = 156.82, p < 0.001). The practices included mobile-based advisory services, weather-informed decision-making, pest forecasting, fertilizer micro-dosing, improved seed access, and variable-rate input application. Regression results showed that participation frequency (β = 0.468), information quality (β = 0.412), and digital confidence (β = 0.321) significantly influenced adoption (R² = 0.681). Key barriers identified were poor internet connectivity (67.3%), high data costs (62.1%), low trust in online information (58.7%), and limited smartphone capacity (51.8%). The study concludes that social media platforms are effective tools for promoting smart agriculture, though their impact depends on content quality, digital literacy, and improved infrastructure.