12 pages., Agriculture play significant role towards sustainability of developing nations’ economy particularly Nigeria by providing abundant raw materials required by the industry, as well as ensures food security and a healthy nation. This study examines the challenges of accessing agricultural information sources and services by farmers in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State. Survey method was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprise of 16066 from which 78 farmers of the study area were selected using stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedure. From the copies of questionnaires administered only 60 were duly completed and returned. Frequency and percentages were used in analyzing data collected. The findings from the study showed that information needs of farmers among others include application of improve techniques, irrigation management, seeds prices, farm wild fire management and prevention, purchase and use of fertilizer, government blueprint on agriculture, and meteorology information need of farmers in Edu Local Government . The findings further revealed that poor communication system, absence of library and information centre, absence of extension agents, insufficient knowledge on marketing of farm produce , insufficient credit facilities, insufficient information on government policies, insufficient fund were the challenges faced by farmers in accessing agricultural information sources and services. The study recommended among others that central facility providing and disseminating information on agricultural related services should be created in the study area that would be accessible to all farmers in order to meet their information needs.
Worthington, Thomas A. (author), Andradi-Brown, Dominic A. (author), Bhargava, Radhika (author), Buelow, Christina (author), Bunting, Pete (author), Duncan, Clare (author), Fatoyinbo, Lola (author), Friess, Daniel A. (author), Goldberg, Liza (author), Hilarides, Lambert (author), Lagomasino, David (author), Landis, Emily (author), Longley-Wood, Kate (author), Lovelock, Catherine E. (author), Murray, Nicholas J. (author), Narayan, Siddharth (author), Rosenqvist, Ake (author), Sievers, Michael (author), Simard, Marc (author), Thomas, Nathan (author), van Eijk, Pieter (author), Zganjar, Chris (author), and Spalding, Mark (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2020
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11696
27 pages., Authors provide an overview of recent and forthcoming global datasets and explore the challenges of translating these new analyses into policy action and on-the-ground conservation of mangrove forests. They describe a new platform for visualizing and disseminating these datasets to the global science community and other audiences - and they highlight future directions and collaborations.
Available online at www.centmapress.org, Results showed that depending on expressed meta-values, respondents had different specific information sources and needs. Online sources were rarely mentioned, the majority of consumers referred to brochures, flyers and interpersonal contacts.
12 pages., The rapidly expanding end-use markets for cassava implies a surge in the production and processing of cassava roots into various value-added forms. This study investigated the information needs of cassava farmers on cassava value addition technologies in Oyo State, Nigeria, to ascertain areas of information gap for farmers to maximally exploit the opportunities inherent in the product value addition. Using a multistage sampling procedure, 130 registered cassava farmers were sampled and interviewed. Data were collected on respondents’ personal and enterprise characteristics, access to information, perceived benefits and constraints to accessing information and information needs on cassava value addition. Data were analysed using percentages, means and correlational analysis at p=0.05. Results indicate that respondents were married (91.5%), with mean farm size and farming experience of 2.3 ha and 20.1±13.8 years, respectively, while fellow farmers ranked first as major source of information. Though respondents were constrained with low income (70.0%), they reckoned that if they had access to information on value addition, their postharvest loss will be reduced (89.2%). Respondents had information gap on information needs on cassava adhesives (1st), glucose syrups (2nd) and confectionaries (3rd). Farming experience (r = -.236), constraints (r = -.288) and access to sources of information were significantly related to respondents’ information needs. It is recommended that information on improved cassava value addition technologies be made available to cassava farmers through relevant sources, especially during emergencies coupled with hands –on training for effective application of information acquired.
Keywords: Information needs, Information sources, Access to information, Cassava value addition technologies.
1 page., September-November issue via online., Digitalisation is improving the agricultural extension system by providing services at the right time, and facilitating adoption of new agronomic practices, resulting in yield improvements and higher incomes for farming households.
Online via UI Library Catalog search. 10 pages., Findings of a survey among a sample of 100 farmers in District Sargodha revealed 99% used agricultural radio/TV/FM, 96% used mobile phones, 66% used magazines/newspapers/periodicals, and 61% used social media. Respondents placed highest value on enhancing their productivity.
Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). 25 pages, Researchers analyzed the spatial dimension and socioeconomic determinants of social media utilization in 3,109 counties in the United States. Subsamples involved metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural regions. Findings compared usage of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and all social media, by region of the nation.
Summarizes findings of a 2019 survey among U.S. farmers regarding their daily information sources for farming, agricultural news, weather and markets. "Even as new information sources appear and some farmers partake in them, traditional farm-news sources like radio continue to show broad-based strength."
11 pages, Climatic change has a negative impact on people’s livelihoods, agriculture, freshwater supply and other natural resources that are important for human survival. Therefore, understanding how rural smallholder farmers perceive climate change, climate variability, and factors that influence their choices would facilitate a better understanding of how these farmers adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. A Zero-inflated double hurdle model was employed to estimate the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of adaptation strategies and intensity of adoption at the household level in South Africa. Different socioeconomic factors such as gender, age, and experience in crop farming, institutional factors like access to extension services, and access to climate change information significantly influenced the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among beneficiaries of land reform in South Africa. Concerning intensity of adoption, age, educational level, farming experience, on-farm training, off-farm income, access to information through ICT and locational variables are the significant determinants of intensity of adaptation strategies. Thus, education attainment, non-farm employment, farming experience are significant incentives to enhance smallholder farmers' adaptive capacity through the adoption of many adaptation approaches. This study therefore concluded that farm-level policy efforts that aim to improve rural development should focus on farmers’ education, on-farm demonstration and non-farm employment opportunities that seek to engage the farmers, particularly during the off-cropping season. The income from non-farm employment can be plough-back into farm operations such as the adoption of soil and water conservation, use of improved planting varieties, insurance, among others to mitigate climate variability and subsequently increase productivity. Policies and investment strategies of the government should be geared towards supporting education, providing on-farm demonstration trainings, and disseminating information about climate change adaptation strategies, particularly for smallholder farmers in the country. Thus, the government, stakeholders, and donor agencies must provide capacity-building innovations around the agricultural extension system and education on climate change using information and communication technologies.
