Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Economics

This study investigates the adoption of mobile applications for livestock disease management among farmers in Abuja, focusing on socio-economic characteristics, the role of mobile apps in early disease detection, factors influencing adoption, and barriers to usage. Using a multi-stage sampling approach, a total of 300 farmers participated in the study, with data obtained through structured questionnaires administered to farmers. The findings revealed that 70% were male, with 60% aged between 30–49 years and an average age of 45.2 years. Most respondents (82%) had at least basic education, 62% were cooperative members, and 41% had access to credit. The mean farm size was 4.2 hectares, and the mean farming experience was 15.7 years. Farmers widely acknowledged the benefits of mobile applications in disease management. The roles identified were: providing real-time alerts about disease outbreaks (80%), assisting in early symptom identification (70%), offering guidance on preventive practices (62%), enhancing communication with veterinarians (58%), facilitating livestock health record-keeping (56%), and enabling quick reporting of disease incidents (50%). Logit regression analysis revealed significant predictors of mobile app adoption: educational level, cooperative membership, and access to credit (p ≤ 0.01); farming experience and farm size (p ≤ 0.05); and gender and age (p ≤ 0.10). Marital status and contact with extension agents were non-significant predictors (p > 0.10). Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W = 0.74) identified barriers to adoption, ranked as follows: high cost of mobile data (4.25), limited internet access (4.12), low digital literacy (3.80), and inconsistent network coverage (3.65), demonstrating high consensus. To address these challenges, targeted training programs to improve digital literacy among farmers are recommended.