21 pgs., CTs (Communications technologies) have revolutionized agricultural information services at every level in the agricultural sector, thus impacting rural development and catalysing poverty alleviation strategies. This has largely been the case with small-scale farmers in rural areas in developing countries where mobile technologies have penetrated more than most other ICT tools. However, in some of the farming environments, mobile phone use is largely driven by agricultural extension workers. This paper seeks to examine the way mobile phones are used for information access in situations where agricultural extension workers are a critical intermediary in the agricultural information services. Interviews were conducted with 10 randomly selected farmers who were part of the Dzindi irrigation scheme. The findings were that from the variety of information available to the farmers the most important source was the extension officer. The extension officer and the radio were indicated to be the most reliable independent sources of information. The other sources, such as the radio, family members, and friends, suppliers of chemicals, books and magazines, were only considered reliable if the information could be verified or vouched for by the extension officer. Increasing the information handling skills of extension officers, training of farmers to use smart features of their phones and promoting the usual face-to-face communication use of conventional methods, which is what usually gives rise to the mediation of mobile phones, were recommended.
Bentley, Jeffery W. (author), Van Mele, Paul (author), Harun-Ar-Rashid (author), and Saleque, Mohammad Abu (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2005
Published:
Bangladesh
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C24696
Notes:
Pages 89-102 in Paul Van Mele, Ahmad Salahuddin and Noel P. Magor (eds.), Innovations in rural extension: case studies from Bangladesh. CABI Publishing, Oxfordshire, England. 307 pages.
Bentley, Jeffery W. (author), Van Mele, Paul (author), and Zakaria, A.K.M. (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2005
Published:
Bangladesh
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C24695
Notes:
Pages 77-88 in Paul Van Mele, Ahmad Salahuddin and Noel P. Magor (eds.), Innovations in rural extension: case studies from Bangladesh. CABI Publishing, Oxfordshire, England. 307 pages.
Suvedi, Murari (author) and Kaplowitz, Michael (author)
Format:
Introduction
Publication Date:
2016-02
Published:
International: U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11774
Notes:
MEAS Handbook. URL to it provided online from Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing. Printed 6-page introduction and contents section of this 193-page handbook, which was sponsored by USAID Feed the Future initiative., Process skills and competency tools for front-line extension staff to use in their day-to-day work. Handbook offers a set of tools for effective communication, program planning and evaluation. It is meant to support and educate agricultural extension workers worldwide.
Hirevenkanagoudar, L.V. (author), Rao, M.K. Sethu (author), and Rao: Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Science, Hebbal, Bangalore, India; Hirevenkanagoudar: Extension Consultant, Directorate of Extension, University of Agricultural Science, Hebbal, Bangalore, India
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1984-06
Published:
India
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: C04331
