Hi All, Quite an interesting question! It is no secret that any information that will goe a long way to enable an increase in the monthly income of the peasant farmer or permits him or her to gain an extra franc for the sale of his or her produce is very much welcomed. This has repercussions socially and economically on the household and in a general manner on the livelihood of the community. The average price for a good brand new mobile phone in Cameroon is on the descent about 25 000 FCFA. Few peasant farmers are still able to afford it. Nevertheless for a given sector, farmers who have been able to afford these mobiles phones use them to communicate vital information amongst themselves and thus can rapidly influence market prices of various commodities within their market niche depending on supply and demand at the time. Also information on the availability or prompt arrival of inputs needed to boost up productivity and yields is rapidly passed on through mobile phones to enable the phenomenon of "First come, first serve" for group members. I think a lot of impact studies need to be carried out to determine how mobiles phones can or have really enhanced rural livelihoods socially and economically.
