Factors affecting farmer adoption and use of computerised information systems : a case study of Florida, Uruguay, dairy farming

Abstract

With the objective of collecting data for assessing research hypotheses about information management, a survey was carried out on Florida, Uruguay dairy farmers between October and November of 2000. A total of 61 farmers were interviewed and asked to fill a survey questionnaire and three psychological test forms. While more than a quarter of the farmers own a computer, 17% are using computerised systems to manage farm information. Livestock management was the most common use of computers with 15% of the farmers using them in this way, followed by the finance area with 5%, while no farmers were using software to support their feed management. Farmers using computerised systems were more educated, and more "success in farming"" oriented than non-users. This group managed bigger farms, and they spent more time doing ofice work. Unwillingness to use computerised systems can be explained according to the farmer's computer technology alienation feelings (""knowledge gap""), incompatible information management skills, and poor economic benefit perceptions. The first two factors may reflect farmers' learning and problem solving styles being incompatible with computerised systems, which may originate from the interaction of basic personality traits and the educational and life process (family and community environment). Given certain learning and problem solving styles, farmers may form positive or negative economic benefit perceptions. The size of the farm, among other farm variables, clearly influences this perception through both the economies of scale of software use, and the scale of the management work. The lack of (computer) operational skills can delay sofiare adoption, but can be removed through training if the above factors support a positive attitude toward computerised system use. If feasible, actions promoting information technology change should focus on building farmer information management skills, and in making available knowledge relevant to developing positive economic benefit perceptions, assuming they exist. Advisors can play a significant role in this process. An additional strategy, particularly where non-users not considering the use of computerised systems represent important segments in the farming community, is the development of information management tools more compatible with these farmers' current information systems.