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Transforming Smallholder Farmers Business towards Agribusiness: A Framework Using ICT

Mohd Shahrul Nizam Mohd Danuri, Mohd Sazili Shahibi and Mohd Razilan Abdul Kadir

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 27, Issue 3, September 2019

Keywords: Agribusiness, agriculture technology usage, ICT framework, smallholder farmers

Published on: 13 September 2019

This paper introduces a framework using ICT to transform smallholder farmers’ traditional business towards agribusiness in Malaysia by extending the existing theoretical framework. The introduction of agribusiness to the farmers is not well understood and difficult to implement due to their limitations as smallholder farmers. The framework outlining ICT usage which was improved through identifying major factors affecting agribusiness transformation by using ICT such as environment (ENV), technology (TECH), farm work design (FWD), and information system elements (ISE). This paper focuses on testing relationships between ENV and TECH which acting as independent variables (IVs) towards agribusiness transformation using ICT as dependent variable (DV). The moderation effect of ISE and FWD acting as moderation variables (ModVs) which interacted with TECH towards agribusiness transformation using ICT were also being investigated in this paper by using slope analysis. This research used a quantitative approach to explore the nature of the phenomenon through the underpinned theory available in information systems theories such as technology-organisation-environment (TOE), technology acceptance model (TAM), diffusion of innovation (DOI), and task-technology fit (TTF). The method chosen in this research was questionnaire, which was distributed to more than 209 smallholder farmers in Taman Kekal Pengeluaran Makanan (TKPM) in Selangor. The statistical results provided the researcher the opportunity to outline the ICT usage framework to be used to transform smallholder farmers’ traditional business towards technological intensive agribusiness. Overall, the findings outline the low level of information system elements and farm work design influencing the technological effect towards agribusiness transformation using ICT.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JSSH-2524-2017

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