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Purpose: Digital extension is widely embraced in African agricultural development, promising unprecedented outcomes and impact. Especially phone-based services attract attention as tools for effective and efficient agricultural extension. To date, assessments of digital extension services are generally ex-post in nature, thus consideration of users and broader systems occurs once an intervention is broadly identified. However, early understanding of user needs, readiness, and relevant context is a prerequisite for successful adoption and sustainable use of digital extension services. We conducted an ex-ante assessment of user readiness (UR) for phone-based services. Design/Methodology/Approach: We developed an ex-ante framework to assess UR, considering capabilities, opportunities, and motivations of targeted users. The case study of Rwandan banana farmers served to verify the UR framework, using survey data from 690 smallholder farmers. Findings: Findings demonstrate limited capacity to access and use phone-based extension services, especially those requiring a smartphone, and a mismatch between expected UR and actual UR, current capabilities and opportunities. Findings provide entry points for designing suitable digital extension projects and interventions, suggesting a need for capacity building. Practical implications: The UR-framework provided understanding about current limitations in farmer readiness for digital extension. This ex-ante approach to explore UR before designing digital interventions for African farmers is recommended. It points at the importance of embedding digital technologies into existing practices and creating blends of 'digital' and 'analogue' or 'high-tech' and 'low-tech'. Theoretical implications: The UR-framework provides a structured approach to developing pre-intervention insights about users and use-context, supporting informed strategizing and decision-making about digital extension. It is a relevant addition to existing readiness frameworks, participatory design methods, and ex-post intervention performance assessments, as part of a balanced readiness level assessment. Originality/Value: This is the first ex-ante assessment of UR for digital extension services in an African context, and the first attempt to analyse Rwandan farmers' readiness for digital extension services.

Purpose: This article addresses the gap in understanding the performance of emerging private agricultural advisory service (AAS) models in developing country contexts, in relation to their dual objectives of supporting farmer-clients and becoming profitable agribusinesses themselves. Methodology: Multiple case study of Service Providers Enterprises (SPEs), an emerging youth-led agribusiness model offering silage making and other services in the Kenyan dairy sector. Using mixed methods, data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, from eight sampled SPEs, 72 farmers, and key informants across four counties. Findings: The results show SPEs' contribution to some changes in farmers' practices, including improvement in milk production, but with some limitations to optimal technical performance. SPEs' mixed business performance is linked to limited market demand, seasonality, and limited fit of some services offered, highlighting gaps in entrepreneurial and market orientation of such agribusinesses, compounded by a challenging operating environment. Practical implications: This evidence implies enhancing the contribution of such service agri-enterprises -- in transforming agri-food systems and offering employment opportunities especially for youth -- requires targeted and sustained policy and program support in business incubation, market development, and strengthening the value proposition to farmer-clients. Theoretical implications: The dual perspective on performance expands theoretical perspectives for assessing AAS, especially in relation to commercialization. The emphasis is on the mutuality of substantive demand and economic viability of these services, which is reliant on certain market maturity. Originality: This article is a novel attempt to assess private AAS models from both a technical perspective and regarding their viability as agri-enterprises.

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to deepening insights on social media in agricultural research by presenting a case study on how a research and education centre in Mexico connected, communicated, and interacted in a research and education community on Twitter. Design/methodology/approach: By using a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach, 1585 tweets were analysed. The data was gathered using NodeXL. Afterwards, SNA was performed through the igraph R package. Findings: The dynamic of virtual interaction around an agricultural research and education centre shows that different roles are needed to connect and foster the interaction on Twitter, as well as to spread information broader. While some accounts are functioning as creators of information, others act as consumers and diffusers of it, and a few more accounts play both roles. Practical Implications: To increase the size and strengthen the interaction of a network on Twitter, it is advisable to have the support of other accounts and to promote its use among potential users. This requires capabilities to develop a social media strategy and pro-actively engage new followers. Theoretical Implications: Through a SNA approach, it is possible to understand better the functions of weak and strong ties in virtual settings, i.e. the former to extend the network, and the latter to strengthen it. These ties can enhance information dissemination and enable exchanges on social media. Originality/value: This paper applies SNA as a theoretical and methodological framework to demonstrate that the interactions among users are different when a whole network is analysed, and when it is divided into the mentions and retweets networks. By doing this, hidden patterns are revealed.