ICT-Based Agricultural Extension and Technology Adoption among Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Evidence from the Bosomtwe District

ICTs have long been acknowledged as potentially revolutionary tools for agricultural extension and farmer decision-making in developing nations, there is still a dearth of solid empirical data regarding their true influence on technology adoption, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. By analysing how ICT tools serve as extension tools and influence technology adoption and farm-level decision-making among smallholder farmers in the Bosomtwe District, Ashanti Region, Ghana, this study fills that gap. The researcher integrated qualitative information from 18 key informant interviews with survey data from 216 smallholder farmers using a mixed-methods approach. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, paired samples t-tests, and binary logistic regression were used in this study. The most popular tools were radios (55.1%) and cell phones (91%), whereas just 38% of people had access to internet-enabled gadgets. The frequency of ICT use was substantially correlated with technology adoption (χ²(4)=162.01, p<0.001), and after sustained ICT engagement, mean farm revenue increased significantly (t(207)=14.21, p<0.001). Qualitatively, farmers mostly utilised cell phones to contact extension agents and radio for weather forecasts, but infrastructural deficiencies, poor connectivity, and gaps in digital literacy continued to be obstacles. The research suggests an ICT-Extension-Adoption (IEA) model to describe how digital tools mediate knowledge transfer and agricultural innovation uptake, based on Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory. The results have important ramifications for rural digital development initiatives, extension system design, and agricultural policy in Ghana and similar sub-Saharan African contexts.