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2. Extension Agents’ Perception on Suitability of Climate Change Information Disseminated to Smallholder Farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mbali Zikhali, Zafezeka (author), Mafongoya, Paramu (author), Mudhara, Maxwell (author), Jiri, Obert (author), and Mudaniso, Blessing (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-04-16
- Published:
- United States: SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12527
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Asian and African Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- 56 (8)
- Notes:
- 18 pages, This study examined gaps in climate information within public agricultural extension in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It assessed extension officers’ climate change perceptions, knowledge and climate education. Lastly, the study examined the extension approaches for overall suitability of climate information disseminated to rural smallholder farmers. The results indicated that participants were predominately male, with tertiary education. Education levels had an influence on exposure to climate education and extension approaches in disseminating agricultural information to farmers. There is a need to retool extension officers in climate change extension work, integrating indigenous knowledge to increase suitability and acceptability of information by smallholder farmers.
3. Farm households' simultaneous use of sources to access information on cotton crop production
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Yaseen, Muhammad (author), Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed (author), and Soni, Peeyush (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10489
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
- Journal Title Details:
- 19(2): 149-161
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., This study has investigated farm households' simultaneous use of social networks, field extension, traditional media, and modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) to access information on cotton crop production. The study was based on a field survey, conducted in Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected from 399 cotton farm households using the multistage sampling technique. Important combinations of information sources were found in terms of their simultaneous use to access information. The study also examined the factors influencing the use of various available information sources. A multivariate probit model was used considering the correlation among the use of social networks, field extension, traditional media, and modern ICTs. The findings indicated the importance of different socioeconomic and institutional factors affecting farm households' use of available information sources on cotton production. Important policy conclusions are drawn based on findings.
4. Farmers’ use of mobile phone-based farm advisory services in Punjab, Pakistan
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Khan, Nasir Abbas (author), Qijie, Gao (author), Sertse, Selamawit Fantahun (author), Nabi, Nur Md (author), and Khan, Palwasha (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-08
- Published:
- SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11010
- Journal Title:
- Information Development
- Notes:
- 13 pages., via online journal., The agriculture sector in Pakistan faces enormous challenges of lack of farm knowledge adoption due to the farmers’ lack of access to the latest information. Recently various mobile phone-based farm advisory services (FAS) have been introduced as an alternative to the conventional extension methods. Despite many ICT initiatives, the performance of these projects remains unsatisfactory. The current study was designed to identify these FAS, farmers’ extent of use, and factors associated with their adoption. Two hundred and forty farmers were surveyed in the rural areas of district Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed with SPSS software. Findings revealed that 77.08% of the sampled farmers were using mobile-based FAS. Telecom and private sector FAS were reported to have the highest share of users (37.08% and 25.83% respectively). Results of the logistic regression showed that farmers’ educational level, mobile use skills, mobile possession duration and the number of mobile phones in a family were found positively significant, while farmers’ age and contact with extension agents were negatively significant. The findings conclude that education and digital literacy are essential for the use of mobile-based alternatives and emphasize the need for training and educating the farmers.
5. Feasibility of using mobile phones as an educational medium in agricultural extension services in Guilan Province, Iran
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Allahyaria, Mohammad Sadegh (author), Atashi, Maryam Ranjbar (author), and Dunn, Emily Shea (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10476
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
- Journal Title Details:
- 19(2): 129-140
- Notes:
- 13 pages., via online journal., This study examined the feasibility of the use of mobile phones as an educational tool in agricultural extension services in the Guilan Province of Iran. A descriptive-survey methodology was employed on a sample population of 120 agricultural extension agents. Data were analyzed at descriptive and inferential levels using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The results of the factor analysis indicated that the application of mobile phones in extension activities was influenced by three factors: economic, skill, and infrastructure. These factors accounted for 52.3% of the variance. Moreover, the possibility for the development of mobile phones as an educational medium is impacted by social, financial-credit, information-communicational, psychological, and improper conditions factors that, in total, captured 70.4% of the variance.
6. Georgia's new college of ag dean Bullish on state's farm industry
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Haire, Brad (author)
- Format:
- Interview
- Publication Date:
- 2016-06-01
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 158 Document Number: D07563
- Journal Title:
- Southeast Farm Press
- Journal Title Details:
- 43 (14): 1-2
7. Identifying gender-responsive approaches in rural advisory services that contribute to the institutionalisation of gender in Pakistan
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lamontagne-Godwin, J. (author), Cardey, S. (author), Williams, F. E. (author), Dorward, P. T. (author), Aslam, N. (author), and Almas, M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-04
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10639
- Journal Title:
- The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(3): 267-288
- Notes:
- 23 pages., via online journal., Unequal reach and access to information is an issue that affects women involved in agricultural activities around the world. Recent initiatives to address gender unequal access to agricultural information have been clumsy, overlooking participatory approaches that focus on transformative change. This study uses Pakistani rural advisory services to compare farmers' and extension workers’ perceptions of access to agricultural information, to identify culturally acceptable gender-responsive schemes.
8. Unearthing the potential of participatory, and information and communication technologies’ led extension and learning approaches in agricultural and environmental education in Uganda
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karubanga, Gabriel (author) and Agea, Jacob Geofrey (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-08
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11143
- Journal Title:
- African Journal of Rural Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 3(2):29-737.
- Notes:
- 9 pages., ISSN 2415-2838, via online journal., Uganda’s public agricultural extension system has experienced several reforms since colonial times. However, available literature indicates that a large number of smallholder farmers remain unreached by the extension systems. To address the above problem, there has been a call to unearth the role of participatory and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)-led extension and learning approaches for agricultural and environmental education, and development in the country. As such, a review study was conducted on the context and the potential of participatory, and ICT-led extension and learning approaches to agricultural and environmental education. The reviews involved thematic and content analysis of variables of interest. The review findings presented a critical review of the historical and current state of agricultural extension reforms in Uganda. It also highlighted the challenges and lessons on the status, context, and potential of participatory, and ICT-led extension and learning in agricultural and environmental education in Uganda. It elaborated on recurring extension issues and described the experiences on the role of ICTs to extension and emerging practices that are enhancing the delivery of timely information that suits the needs of farmers. Policy recommendations were henceforth made to tap the potential of participatory, and ICT-led extension and learning approaches in order to enhance the performance of agricultural extension systems in Uganda.
9. Usability attributes influencing the adoption and use of mobile apps for dissemination of agricultural information
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kandagor, Jonathan C. (author), Githeko, Jason M. (author), and Opiyo, Arnold M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01-01
- Published:
- eSci Journals Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 123 Document Number: D11160
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 6(1)
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., Mobile apps such as social media have friendly attributes and unbiased usage across gender and age; and have become one of the most promising channels for dissemination of agricultural information. The current sources of agricultural information available to farmers do not allow a two-way flow of information and instant feedback. The information disseminated using such channels are generally not customized to specific farmers’ needs. Despite the availability of various mobile apps providing agricultural information, the adoption rate is too minimal. The aim of this study was to determine the usability attributes of social media influencing its adoption and use. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 149 respondents. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling technique from a population comprising of farmers, extension staff, lecturers and students enrolled in agricultural courses participating in the Farm Attachment Program of Egerton University. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and probit regression was used to analyse expected probability of social media adoption. The findings indicate that the main usability attributes of social media are Ease of use, usefulness, credibility, flexibility and Internet availability. Mobile apps being used to disseminate agricultural information should incorporate some of the usability attributes that have significantly influenced the adoption and use of social media to enhance its uptake and use.