The Use of Mobile Phones for Marketing Purposes by Live- Stockers in Sindh Province, Pakistan

Abstract

This research work is an attempt to focus on the role of mobile phones in the profession of livestock. It particularly concentrates on how mobile is used by livestock holders to get market information related to the products of their profession.  Due to the nature of the research questions and required data, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on the livestock holders in the sampled areas of Sindh, province, Pakistan. Whereas,  to reach the targeted survey respondents purposive sampling technique was supposed to be most suitable and applied due to the non-availability of a comprehensive list of the livestock holders, however with a pre-condition that the livestock keeper must own a mobile phone. The data collection instrument was pre-designed with close-ended questions.  The data were analyzed with SPSS statistical software having used descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Some of the key findings disclosed that the majority of livestock keepers adopted this profession by inheritance. They also admitted that they use mobile phones to communicate market information to have the latest updates about livestock products.  Additionally, it was found that educated livestock keepers on average use more mobile phones in comparison to their uneducated counterparts. It was also observed that due to mobile phone usage, there has been an increase in the earnings of the livestock keepers; and there has been a reduction of transport expenses of the livestock keepers due to mobile phone usage, as they seek market-related information earlier to transport their livestock products in the market for selling.