Exploring the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and productivity: Evidence from Australian farms

The relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and farm productivity remains unresolved and often debated with limited evidence. While ICT is generally accepted by many to be a positive driver of productivity, others question it. Realistically, truth is likely somewhere in between. Certain ICT investments are likely to facilitate productivity improvement, whereas others may offer some other benefits such as improved safety or reduced emissions. It is also undeniable that some ICT investments may fail or offer little more than a temporary novelty. Using a sample of Australian farm-level data, analysis in this paper finds a positive relationship between ICT investment and productivity. Specifically, the use of precision agriculture and machinery infused with ICT (such as GPS autosteering tractors) is found to be statistically significant. Moreover, digital internet access or access to the National Broadband Network (NBN) is found to be beneficial—and conversely, farms that reported mobile and internet connectivity problems tended to achieve lower productivity.

信息与通信技术（ICT）与农业生产率之间的关联尚未有定论，相关议题常因证据不足而争论不休。尽管多数人士普遍认为ICT是提升农业生产率的积极驱动因素，但也有部分观点对此提出质疑。客观而言，真实情况或许介于两者之间：部分ICT投资或可切实推动生产率提升，而另一些投资则可能带来诸如提升作业安全性、减少温室气体排放等其他益处；但同样不可否认的是，部分ICT投资可能收效甚微，甚至完全失效，仅能带来短暂的新鲜感。本文基于澳大利亚农场层面的样本数据展开实证分析，结果显示ICT投资与农业生产率之间存在正向关联。具体而言，精准农业（precision agriculture）技术的应用以及搭载ICT技术的农机设备（例如配备GPS自动导航系统的拖拉机）的使用，被证实具有显著的统计相关性。此外，接入数字互联网或国家宽带网络（NBN）也被证实对生产率提升有益；反之，那些报告存在移动网络与互联网连接故障的农场，其生产率往往更低。