WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2016 41 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 42) 3. What are fish famers’ interests and needs on the content and design of information for improving and expanding the existing cell-based system? Analysis of Interview Transcripts Responses obtained during focus group interviews were transcribed in English and treated using thematic analysis (Fig. 2). Thematic analysis involves identification of themes from qualitative data that “at minimum describe and organize the possible observations and at maximum interpret aspects of the phenomenon” (Boyatzis 1998). Responses were read multiple times to develop appropriate codes (Kelle 2004) and uncover new or unique themes not identified in prior research. Transcripts were coded by writing names and a brief description of each code on a separate piece of paper to indicate potential patterns that simultaneously categorized, summarized, and accounted for each theme in the transcript (Hennink 2014). Identified codes were then matched with interview extracts to form a codebook from which themes emerged. Themes that emerged from the coded data (discussions) were identified and the name of each theme was finalized by writing a description to communicate the meaning. Uses of Mobile Phones by Fish Farmers Participating farmers identified a number of roles that mobile phones play within the context of aquaculture. These include marketing and coordination services, in particular, technical guidance, payment collection, and contacting family members. Extension services were mentioned, but less emphasis was placed on it by participants in all focus group interviews. Mobile phones save time and reduce the distance between fish farmers and producers, as well as other fish farmers, making the sharing of information and knowledge easier and more effective. Marketing and Coordination. Access to mobile phones helps farmers communicate with customers in surrounding villages and negotiate prices for fish. Mobile phones provide savings over what would have been spent on travelling, with a cost range of 5,00010,000 Ugandan Shillings (about US$ 2-4) per trip. Mobile phones were used to make plans for procurement of farm inputs, such as fingerlings and feed from fellow fish farmers, fisheries research centers and NGOs. There are also benefits in terms of greater convenience, such as time saving as a basic mode of communication from using a mobile phone. For some, a mobile phone represented the only appropriate and efficient means of communication. The use of mobile phones also delivered convenience benefits to farmers who were starting to substitute physical meetings with mobile phone conversations. Farmers use their mobile phones to call experience fish farmers or technical personnel from the Kajjansi Aquaculture Research Development Centre for technical guidance and information regarding fish farming. Mobile phone use also included farmers receiving calls from fellow fish farmers inviting them to attend group trainings on a village level. Market Access. The long distance from farm to market hinders information gathering about fish prices, but mobile phone use allows farmers to obtain timely information about the market situation, transport and prices of fish in various markets. This enables farmers to have bargaining power and sell fish at higher prices, leading to increased income. Mobile phones have made it easier for farmers to communicate with businessmen and middlemen by informing them of the availability of fish and substantiation of market prices. When satisfied with price and after agreeing on quantity, the broker either decides to come to the village to collect the fish or advises the farmer via a phone call to transport the fish to the businessman’s place or the nearby market where they can meet for the transaction and payment. This reduces transportation costs involved in moving fish products from farm to market and enables fish sales in a timely way. Mobile Payments. Mobile payment systems give farmers the opportunity to access financial services and provide an inexpensive and secure way to send and receive money transfers. They allow small-scale farmers to create savings, receive payments quickly in times of need, and pay for agricultural inputs through their phones. Mobile phone-based money transfer services facilitate transfer of funds in a quick and cost-effective way (Kirui et al. 2012). These services offer an easy and secure platform for the rural poor, who have no access to formal financial services, to establish small savings accounts. Mobile payment systems can replace costly traditional bank transfer services and the need to travel long distances to visit a bank, get funds, or make a transfer. Technical Guidance. Some farmers mentioned have tried to obtain technical guidance from experienced fish farmers via mobile phone. A few literate farmers have even tried to use the Google search engine on their phones to get information related to fish farming, but the available information is difficult for them to follow and understand. The Grameen Foundation has developed a mobile phone-based system with the aim of helping farmers in over 100 districts of Uganda improve agricultural productivity and income generation by providing access to agricultural information. Farmers receive updates on cropping through text messages with information that helps them improve agriculture productivity and boost income. Some have never had anyone give them any technical advice on how to go about fish farming. Communication. Another main use of mobile phones for the Ugandan fish farmers is to keep in touch with relatives while in the field or while carrying out businesses away from home. Before the introduction of mobile phones, farmers could not contact relatives or had to forego farming activities in the case of family emergencies. Now, as the need arises, farmers can communicate with family members while farming. Challenges to Mobile Phone Use Despite the potential of mobile phones to increase productivity and profit, there are factors that constrain the full potential of mobile phone use by small-scale fish farmers in Uganda. Some perceptions of the main constraints of mobile phone use are discussed below. Electricity Access. Many farmers in rural communities do not have access to electric power, and even where there is access the challenge of outages is recurrent and ongoing. Staying in areas where power outages are frequent and power availability is limited negatively impacts fish farmer’s day-to-day activities.
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