Competitiveness and assimilation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in small producers of protected agriculture in Guanajuato, Mexico

Competitiveness in the Mexican countryside is associated with farmers who have a formal organizational structure and who are aware of being a core part of the agricultural value chain. In the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, markets for smallholder producers are mainly local, and they continually surviv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria 2020-01, Vol.21 (3)
Main Authors: Rodríguez Lemus, Claudia, Escamilla Santana, Clara, Ríos Castro, María del Socorro, López Bedolla, Ma. Guadalupe, López Ramírez, Blanca Cecilia
Format: Article
Language:eng ; por
Subjects:
Agriculture
AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Assimilation
Communications technology
Competitiveness
Decision making
Organizational structure
Policy analysis
Technology Acceptance Model
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Summary:Competitiveness in the Mexican countryside is associated with farmers who have a formal organizational structure and who are aware of being a core part of the agricultural value chain. In the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, markets for smallholder producers are mainly local, and they continually survive thanks to government support. To improve competitiveness, organizations have used information and communication technologies (ICT). Thus, the aim of this research was to verify that the assimilation of ICT in smallholder producers of protected agriculture is a strategy that influences the improvement of the competitiveness of their production units (UP). In order to achieve the above, the policy analysis matrix (PAM) was adapted to calculate the levels of competitiveness, as well as the technology acceptance model (TAM) based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA), to determine the attitudes that influence the behavior and to calculate the assimilation levels of ICT. A highly significant relationship between competitiveness and the assimilation of ICT was obtained as the main result. In this context, we concluded that the level of competitiveness in smallholder producers of protected agriculture is highly associated with the ICT assimilation level. Therefore, smallholder producers are strongly advised to strive to incorporate these in the decision-making and management of their UPs.
ISSN:2500-5308
DOI:10.21930/rcta.vol21_num3_art:1499