Internet Services and the Potential for Market Access of Rural Agricultural Households in Myanmar and Viet Nam

It is often hypothesized that access to new forms of technology (such as mobile phones and the internet) can be used by poor rural households to improve their income prospects by providing access to information and markets. With the rapid increase in the spread of such technology in rural Myanmar and Viet Nam, it would be expected that such a phenomenon, if it does occur, would be starting to occur in those countries too. The research project otganized a quantitative survey at two research sites in each country and collected 611 questionnaires.. Analysis of the data indicated that the technologies had spread extensively in the two countries and were being used, to some extent, to assist with such information searching. However, significant differences were found between the two sites in each country, which suggests that no single strategy would be suitable to help all members of the country. Further, the meaningful search for information is not happening on a consistent or coherent basis, which indicates that some form of education would be helpful by government extension services or non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives. Respondents need some guidance in areas within livestock management and rice agriculture