40 MARCH 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG were more likely to use the mobile phone to access agricultural information (Masuki et al. 2010). In Kamuli District, Uganda, 42 percent of the farm households had a mobile phone and more than half of the farmers used their mobile phones for farm purposes (Martin and Abbott 2013). They sought agricultural inputs, obtained market information, monitored financial transactions and used it for agriculture emergency situations. Slightly less than half consulted with experts via mobile phones. Men tended to adopt mobile phones earlier than women, and those with more education were more likely to use text features. Members of agricultural groups were more likely to use their mobile phones for a variety of purposes. Advantages and Limitations of Mobile Phone Use Availability and access to mobile phones is associated with higher agricultural incomes. Use of mobile phones enhances farmers’ incomes by making agricultural marketing more efficient, reducing transportation and transaction costs, and providing a platform to deliver information services. In Ghana, members associated with trade networks, with the help of modern telecommunication modes, were able to run their activities in an organized, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The revolution of mobile telecommunication in Ghana helped reduce information asymmetry (Overa 2006). Owning and using a mobile phone increases income compared to non-phone farmers by 11-17 percent in the Philippines (Labonne and Chase 2009) and 21 percent in Morocco (Ilahiane 2007). Mobile phones allow farmers to have access to basic financial services, new agricultural techniques, and new markets. Mobile phones help farmers secure better prices for crops and a better return on investments. Mobile money transfer services bring basic financial services to rural farmers in Uganda. Mobile financial services can fill the banking gap felt by the poorest farmers. Mobile information platforms open up significant additional routes to critical information through dissemination of reliable seasonal weather forecasts. Mobile platforms may also enable rural people to find employment. In Uganda, Grameen Foundation partnered with the government of Uganda and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to establish an employment opportunity called Community Knowledge Workers, which employs farmers to collect information. This method, which relies on local people to transmit data to centrally located research and extension staff, is much less costly and can provide much more timely information than traditional surveys. Despite the various uses of mobile phones in agriculture, there are also limitations related to use. Mobile phone-based information services have not yet penetrated or become popular with most farmers, related to cost or dissatisfaction with content relevance. Farmers often have to accept the price they are offered for their crops because buyers are also their creditors, irrespective of communication method (Molony 2008). In this situation, many farmers are unable to exploit new mobile phone-based services to seek information on market prices and potential buyers in other markets. Doing so would run the risk of breaking a long-term relationship with a buyer willing to supply credit. Focus Group Interviews with Fish Farmers The focus group interview is a qualitative research method that involves a guided discussion on specific issues with a predetermined group of people participating in an interactive discussion (Hennink 2014). The aim of focus group interviews is to obtain a broad range of views on a research topic over 60-90 minutes and to create an environment where participants feel comfortable expressing their views (Hennink et al. 2011). Focus group interviews should consist of people with certain common characteristics and similar levels of understanding of a topic, hence aiming for homogeneity rather than diversity (Hennink 2014). In this study, small- and medium-scale fish farmers were recruited on the basis of how long each farmer had been involved in fish farming as a business activity. This approach allowed free expression of views and avoided participants being suppressed by other dominant and more knowledgeable participants. Most fish farms in Uganda are owned by men. To include both genders in the discussion, one group was organized based on gender and at least one or two female fish farmers of seven or eight participants were included. Forty-eight farmers (34 men and 14 women) were purposely selected for their voluntary participation through the help of Grameen Field Officers and Community Knowledge Workers. Focus group interviews (Fig. 1) were conducted in five districts of Uganda (Masaka, Mpigi, Bushenyi, Mukono and Kalungu) between May and July 2014 (Table 1). Focus group interview guides gathered information about mobile phone use among fish farmers, needs and interests of fish farmers, and problems faced by fish famers while using mobile phones. Focus group interviews were conducted to answer these research questions: 1. How do fish farmers use mobile phones for their day-to-day aquaculture activities? 2. What are the limitations of using mobile phones by fish farmers? TABLE 1. Sites of focus group interviews with fish farmers, Uganda 2014. District Date Meeting place Number of participants Bushenyi 07.07.2014 Fish farmer’s home 9 Mpigi 07.18.2014 Fish farmer’s home 8 Masaka 07.15.2014 Hotel 8 Kalungu 08.05.2014 Sub-county office 9 Mukono 06.16.2014 Primary school 14
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