The use of ICT in Mazovian agriculture

The main objective of this paper is the diagnosis and evaluation of ICT use in farming. The area of research presented in the study covers the region of Mazovia, which represents different types of rural areas and diverse forms of agriculture. Mazovia region is characterised, on the one hand, by the highest value of GDP per capita indicator in Poland and, on the other, the biggest internal differentiation. In our analyses, a variety of research methods were used as well as data sources - both commonly available (secondary source), as well as data from own studies. For detailed identification of farm equipment level in ICT and its use by farmers, primary research was conducted among farmers and local authorities in 20 deliberately selected municipalities. In each municipality, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of local government. The second research method was a survey aimed to be completed by individual farmers – almost 1300 were completely filled by farmers. Own research carried out among farmers in Mazovia showed that nowadays infrastructural determinants still remain the crucial problem in access to the Internet – a significant majority of farmers does not have the possibility of choosing the Internet services provider or is forced to use the forms of access that do not ensure a stable connection and high-speed data transmission. Most farmers use a computer and the Internet, if the household is equipped in them. However, there are used primarily in a passive way - mainly to obtain information. Active forms of computer and Internet use, requiring user interaction, are much less common. Education is a very strong factor in differentiating the level of ICT use by farmers - poorly educated farmers are less able to acquire information from the Internet, while the transfer of knowledge with the use of ICT to best educated farmers is facilitated. Other characteristics of the economic situation of farms, the dominant production profile, size and location do not differentiate the levels of computer and Internet use by farmers as clearly as education, although these factors are important regulators of the frequency of Internet use for strictly occupational purposes.