7 pages., via online journal., The study was aimed at determining women farmers' agricultural information needs and accessibility, using Apa local government area of Benue State as a case study. A sample size of 70 women farmers was initially taken for the study but only data for 65 respondents were analyzed. Simple random sampling technique was used for the sample selection and questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The result showed highest information needs in the areas of pesticides and fertilizer applications and improved farm implements. Husbands, fellow women and mass media were the main sources of agricultural information to women farmers and accessibility of information from these sources was relatively high. Age, educational level and income of women farmers showed significant relationships with their accessibility to agricultural information at 5% level of significance. It is recommended that enough information should be provided in the needed areas and women adult literacy and economic empowerment programmes should be given serious attention to enhance their access to needed agricultural information.
12 pages., via online journal., Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage in Nigeria has gone a long way but
despite its existence, there seems to exist limited access and utilisation of the technologies
among farmers in south-East Nigeria. Consequent upon this, the study analysed the access and
application of information and communication technology (ICT) among farmers of South East
farmers, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed in selection of 240 Farmers for
the study. Primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive
statistics were employed to achieve objectives i, ii, and iii. The result of the analysis showed that
62.50% of farmers were males and married (84.17%) with average household size of 7 persons.
Also, majority (45.42%) of the farmers completed primary education. Further analysis revealed
that although many ICT facilities exist; radio, television and phones sourced personally from open
market were the most readily available ICT facilities owned, accessed, and utilized by most
farmers. Consequently, the level of access and utilization of these facilities were found to be
generally low among the respondents as the mean access (1.2) and utilisation (1.8). The result
further showed that information on physical farm measurement (2.6), how to estimate farm output
(2.7), new varieties of seeds and seedling (x=2.6), best planting techniques (x=2.6) and use of
fertilizer (x = 2.8) were the identified major areas extension agents applied ICTs in facilitating
agricultural activities by extension agents as use of fertilizer (x = 2.5) was the major area ICTs
facilitated agricultural activities for the farmers. Based on the findings, the study recommended
the strengthening of the use of contemporary ICTs (phones, internet, etc.) rather than
conventional ICTs such as radio and television, provision of adequate training on the use of ICTs
for farmers, and extension agents and other agricultural stakeholders.
10 pages, Agricultural information is very essential for smallholder farmers to increase farm production and productivity. However, there is no proper access to accurate and adequate agricultural information to smallholder farmers. This paper attempts to identify the existing agricultural information source and the agricultural information need of the smallholder farmers along with usefulness of the provided agricultural information. Household level data were obtained from four wards of Bharatpur metropolitan of Chitwan district during 2019. The result showed agrovet shops as most common source of agricultural information for smallholder farmers. The most needed agricultural information was about input market and prices followed by disease and pest control. Moderately useful agricultural information was provided to smallholder farmers. Findings of this research suggest that context specific agricultural information should be provided through the existing channels to the smallholder farmers.
6 pages., via online journal., ICT has been initiated and implemented effectively by the
public private partnership, government, researchers and various
Institutions. Availability of wireless service, Internet and mobile
communication have forced ICT to find foothold in daily routine
of the Indian farmers. ICT has huge impact in agricultural
development but still in natal stage. Many farmers are not availing
the actual potential of ICT due to poverty, social constraint,
illiteracy, language barriers and unwillingness to adopt new
technology. Many Indian farmers have reported positive change
in income, quality of produce and timely access to the market
information by using latest mobile application. WhatsApp is the
most popular and easy to use Mobile Instant Messaging service
amongst the Indian farmer. It supports sharing of localized
information and utilizing these services as query redressal
public platform. This paper is an attempt to gather meaningful
agricultural data for analysis and filtering of relevant need based
information assessment. The main focus of the present work is to
develop an automatic information handling and redressal of the
need based agricultural information system using WhatsApp as
social media platform.
11 pages, This study examined village extension agent’s access and use of information and communication technology in extension services delivery to farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of all the village extension agents (VEAs) of the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) in the central agricultural zone of the state. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaires and interview techniques and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study shows that majority (77%) of the sampled village extension agents (VEAs) were males with a mean age of 43 years, Majority (87%) of the respondents were married with a mean household size of 4 persons. The study also showed that majority (80%) of the VEAs had tertiary education with a mean working experience of 13 years and average monthly income of ₦64875. The result also shows that four (4) out of the seven (7) listed ICT facilities were adjudged the ICT facilities accessible to VEAs in the study area having had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ =2.50). They included; GSM (phone) (x̅ =3.94), radio (x̅ = 2.83), television (x̅ = 2.73) and computer (x̅ = 2.68). Based on 2.50 discriminating index, only two out of seven listed conventional ICT facilities had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ 2.50) and thus were adjudged the ICT facilities used by VEAs. The GSM (phone) had the highest mean value of 3.62 followed by radio with mean value of 2.54. The logit regression result shows that coefficients of years of working experience and monthly income were significant and positively related to ICT use, while age and complexity in use of ICT were significant and negatively related to ICT use. Major constraints to use of ICT by VEAs includes; lack of administrative support in provision of ICT (87%), lack of in-service training on ICT use (66%), Poor salary/remuneration (64%), lack of awareness of ICT importance in extension (56%) among others. The study recommends intervention, serious synergy, and proactive response on the part of the government, non-governmental organization,s and extension organizations in ICT provision and training of VEAs on ICT use as well as stepping up campaigns on the importance of ICT use in agricultural extension delivery.
Kunelius, Risto (author) and Yagodin, Dmitry (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2017
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08850
Notes:
Pages 59-80 in Kunelius, Risto Eide, Elisabeth Tegelberg, Matthew Yagodin, Dmitry (eds.), Media and global climate knowledge: journalism and the IPCC. United States: Palgrave Macmillan, New York City, New York. 309 pages.
25 pages., The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study consisted 1200 respondents comprising (staff of the Zamfara State Agricultural Development Project, FADAMA III Project, IFAD, Animal rearers and Farmers). Instruments of data collection used for the study were the questionnaire, interview and discussions. One thousand two hundred questionnaires were distributed to respondents and only 988 (82.2%) were dully returned and found usable. The results of the responses were interpreted using simple percentage and frequency tables. The findings of the study include, that 95% of Zamfara State population are farmers, Maru and Gusau Local Government Areas recorded the highest farmers’ population. It was also discovered that there was a high rate of awareness of climate change information in the State with Radio, Television, extension services as major sources of climate change information in the State. It was also discovered that farmers in the State utilize climate change information like taking decisions on what and when to plant, planting improved crop varieties among others. There is also the challenges of reduction in annual rainfall, deforestation, insect-pests attack, high temperature among others. Recommendations were made for intensified awareness campaign on climate change, increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector for more mitigation and adaptation capacity for the farmers.
