APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) AMONG IRANIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS:
CAN IT APPROPRIATE FOR SMALL FARMERS?
M. Bijani1, D. Hayati2, M. Shirazi Tehrani1
1 Ahvaz University (IRAN)
2 Shiraz University (IRAN)
Whereas, this era is nominated as information and communication age, every improvement in agricultural sector and rural development is related to continuous flow of information, and it is one of the most important equipment for enhancing efficiency and individual and group well being. Those who work in agricultural sector need three groups of information: First, technical information, which is related to new methods, equipments, and techniques in agricultural production. Second, managerial information, which is refered to those information that need for decision making. Third, economical information toward commercial affairs and agricultural inputs and production supply and demand. In spite of this fact that access to information is a necessary factor for community development, but if the flow of information is biased toward specific group of a society who have more facilities, it not only couldn't lead to development but also increase social gap and inequality. This study tries to answer this question how information technology in agricultural and rural sectors in Iran could be implicated so that it covers rural small farmers and to be appropriated for those who have posited in lower stratifies in agricultural society. In this regards, the article has probed information technology functions and mentions those challenges if small farmers want to be benefited of information technology. It has concluded that values and institutional structures of each society can determine the consequences of information technology. Some recommendations have been presented at the end of the article.