Adopter Category Characterizations and the Adoption of Mobile Phone Applications for Improved Small-scale Commercial Agriculture in Chitomborwizi-Makonde District, Zimbabwe

The aim of this study was to explore adopter category characterizations on the adoption of mobile phone applications for improved small-scale commercial agriculture in Makonde District, Zimbabwe. The study utilized Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory’s (DIT) adopter categories to proffer a comprehensive perspective for analysing small-scale commercial farmers’ adoption characteristics in small-scale commercial agriculture. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, a case study research design, a sample of 12 research participants and in-depth key informant interviews. The study utilized purposive and snowball sampling techniques to gather primary data. The study employed thematic analysis to analyze primary data. The research results demonstrated that farmers’ adopter characteristics (age, education, social status, financial support, digital literacy and technical proficiency, access to electricity and access to internet connectivity and network coverage) positively and negatively influenced the adoption of mobile applications. The results highlighted that innovator adopters, early adopters and early majority adopters were more likely to adopt mobile applications because these adopters showed more interest in mobile applications. In contrast, late majority adopters and laggards were less likely to adopt mobile applications because these adopters were less interested in the adoption of mobile applications. Further, innovator adopters, early adopters and early majority adopters’ category characteristics enabled them to adopt mobile applications, while late majority adopters and laggards’ adopters’ category characterisations hindered the adoption of mobile applications. The study concluded that adopter category characterisations had differing impacts on small-scale commercial farmers' adoption of mobile applications. In addition, the study findings indicated that small-scale commercial farmers belong to different adopter categories and do not fit into the homogenous category of mobile application adopters. The study recommends the need to classify small-scale commercial farmers’ adopter category characteristics to tailor strategies that promote the widespread adoption of mobile applications for improved small-scale commercial agriculture.