Effects of Digital Marketing Technologies on Marketing of Green Leafy Vegetables among Smallholder Farmers in Lari Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Vegetable farming is one of the growing sub-sectors in Kenya, contributing significantly to the country’s agricultural growth and development. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and kale are widely produced and intensively commercialized in Lari sub-county. However, farmers do not have direct access to lucrative markets thereby selling their vegetables through the middlemen at relatively low prices with minimal returns. Numerous studies have shown that digital marketing technologies including social media, mobile phones, and internet search engines are essential tools in agriculture that improve farmers' access to timely and relevant market information and facilitate their participation in lucrative marketplaces. Nevertheless, there is low utilization rate of digital marketing technologies in Lari sub-county, despite the rise of such technologies in the area. Therefore, this study focuses on the effects of digital marketing technologies on the marketing of green leafy vegetables among smallholder farmers in Lari sub-county. The study’s specific objectives were to: identify the digital marketing technologies utilized by smallholder farmers; determine the factors influencing the use of digital marketing technologies in marketing green leafy vegetables; determine the effect of digital marketing technology use on the farmers income. A survey research design was used, and multistage sampling procedure was used to select 374 green leafy vegetable farmers in Lari sub-county. Semi-structured questionnaire was employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The determinants of digital marketing technology use were estimated using multivariate probit model and the effect of digital marketing technology on farmers income was estimated using the multinomial switching regression model. The results were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 and Statistics and Data Analysis (STATA) version 17. Mobile phone was the mostly used tool, with SMS being utilized the majority of farmers. The results of the study showed that education level, access to extension services, electricity installation positively influenced the use of mobile phone, social media, and internet search engines in marketing of green leafy vegetables. The results showed that farmers who used one or two tools realized high income, positive and significant average treatment effect. The results show the need for targeted educational initiatives that focus on digital literacy for smallholder farmers. Expand and enhance agricultural extension services to include training on digital marketing tools.