Digital Technology Use for Agricultural Extension Information among Rural Leaders in Tel Kayf District

Abstract

Digital technology has become increasingly important as an extension support tool, facilitating access to current agricultural information. The current research evaluated the utilisation of digital technology by rural leaders to obtain agricultural information in Tel Kayf District, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. A multi-stage sampling method was applied and 101 rural leaders were selected from three villages. The data were collected in June 2024 via face-to-face interviews employing a structured questionnaire. The use of digital technology was evaluated using 20 statements on a five-point rating scale. Mean, standard deviation, relative importance, frequency, percentage and random forest regression were applied for the analysis. The findings showed mean item scores exceeded 4.0 on a five-point scale across all twenty statements. The random forest regression model achieved a test R² of 0.3920 in the utilisation of digital technology. Age was the most influential variable, followed by education and information sources. The high prices of modern mobile phones and Internet charges were the main barriers. The findings imply that the existing favourable use of digital technology among rural leaders can be leveraged through affordable Internet access, practical skill enhancement and locally relevant digital extension content to strengthen agricultural information dissemination in rural communities.