17 pages, via online journal, Translator disclaimer
Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get access
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To identify and understand factors influencing farmers’ decisions to engage with extension activities. To understand farmer segments and how these factors vary in order to develop recommendations for future extension delivery.
Methodology: Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 30 Tasmanian dairy farmers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework was used to identify and explore factors influencing farmer engagement intentions and behaviour.
Findings: There was a negative effect of social influence on experienced farmers’ intention to re-engage with extension, due to the belief extension activities were targeted to less experienced, younger farmers. Perceived control factors limiting engagement included lack of confidence about existing knowledge, resulting in farmers perceiving extension activities as confronting.
Practical implications: Key factors influencing intention to engage and continued engagement with extension were identified. These findings will inform future design and targeting of extension activities to improve initial and continued engagement. Subsequent recommendations are presented.
Theoretical implications: Previous TPB studies on adoption as an outcome of extension have typically focused on quantifying adoption predictions, rather than exploring how social factors interact and influence intentions and behaviours. This paper demonstrates how the TPB can be qualitatively applied to better understand farmer decision making, in this instance with respect to their initial and continued engagement with extension.
Originality/value: This paper demonstrates how the TPB can provide an evidence-based framework to qualitatively explore farmer intentions and behaviour. This approach has led to new insights into farmer decision making that will inform improvements in future extension development.
Journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/actatropica, Via online journal, Zoonotic diseases cause significant health and economic impact in developing countries such as India. Many zoonotic diseases are prevalent in the livestock and as an occupational zoonosis in the livestock farmers in India. Lack of knowledge on the disease transmission, prevention and control measures is a potential high risk for the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in the livestock and its keepers in India. We conducted this study to understand knowledge, attitude and practices of livestock farmers regarding zoonoses. Five villages from each of the 22 districts of the state were conveniently selected (n = 110). Farmers available at village community sites were enrolled in the study and requested to complete a custom designed questionnaire (n = 558). In addition, livestock farmers attending basic livestock husbandry training were also surveyed (n = 301). Data from questionnaires was used to create three index variables: (a) knowledge score; (b) attitude score and (c) practice score. Association between demographic and other explanatory variables with knowledge score was evaluated using linear regression analyses. Similarly, the association between knowledge and attitude score with practice score was evaluated. Of the 859 participants, 685 (80%) livestock farmers had heard the term ‘zoonoses’ but only 345 (40%), 264 (31%) and 214 (25%) farmers were aware of the zoonotic nature of tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis and taeniosis, respectively. For practices, 23% farmers reported consumption of raw milk and only 10% and 8% livestock farmers ever got their animals tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis, respectively. The low level of education and being a cattle farmer were negatively associated with the farmer’s knowledge on zoonotic diseases. The attitude score was positively associated with the practice score of the participants. The results indicate need for educating the livestock farmers particularly those with a low level of education to reduce the health and economic impact of zoonotic diseases in India.
9 pages., Article # 1RIB4, Via online journal., Food hubs represent a business model through which farmers can collectively market product to access new supply chains and buyers can efficiently access locally sourced foods. Many farmer marketing cooperatives fit within the food hub definition and have existed for decades. Accordingly, much can be learned from them to support food hub business planning efforts. We developed and synthesized case studies of three successful cooperatives in order to match key food hub operational challenges with recommended best management practices. Such information is useful for Extension education efforts supporting the development of economically viable food hub businesses.
9 pages., Article # 1RIB10, Via online journal., Millennials have different investing knowledge and behaviors than generations in the past. Moreover, as compared to baby boomers, millennials have more debt and less wealth to invest. We used current literature and information collected from Extension educators to explore the values, investing behaviors, learning styles, and loyalty attitudes of millennials. We also examined and evaluated investment resources that had been created or adapted by four Extension faculty members across the nation. A proposed framework with suggestions for future research is provided.
20 pages., Via online journal., Information plays an important role in meeting the quantitative and qualitative goals of agriculture in the 21st century. As an emerging economy in a developing continent, China has already made many interventions to use information technology to support agricultural development. However, information service in some rural areas is still severely limited. The overall impact of the changing information environment on the farmers’ information needs and access channels has not been fully studied. Thus, this study systematically investigates the characteristics of the information needs and channels of farmers in Guangdong, China. We have collected 4006 questionnaire
samples and used correlation analysis to explore the relationships between farmers’ information needs and access channel preferences. The results indicate that individual characteristic factors, social factors and family factors have different degrees of influence on farmers’ information needs and access channel preferences. These findings can provide a reference for information construction in the rural areas of Guangdong Province and thus promote its economic development. This study can also provide useful insights for policymakers and researchers from other developing countries to formulate implementation plans to promote agricultural development.
19 pages, via online journal, Dairy farms pose many hazards to farmers and their employees, including the risk of injury caused by handling animals. On many farms, there is a lack of consistent information and training related to farm safety topics, including stockmanship, or safe animal handling. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore effective communication strategies that support the application of stockmanship practices and more broadly support health and safety measures and the adoption of new behaviors by farmers and their employees. Research was conducted in three stages via in-depth farm tours and in-person interviews, a qualitative survey, and follow-up phone interviews with dairy farmers. Findings identified four values and moral norms important to dairy farmers and four barriers to implementation of farm safety practices. The research also revealed publications and in-person meetings as key channels of communication and on-farm consultants as important influencers. From the research findings, three major recommendations emerged. These include using a train the trainer educational model, engaging with professionals and encouraging farmer-to-farmer communication, and leveraging digital resources.
12 pages., Via online journal., This article is concerned with the shaping of agricultural knowledge among farmers, in the context of the rapid changes Polish agriculture has been subject to since the time of the country's EU accession. The theoretical underpinnings of this work have been described in terms of the significant notional categories, i.e. knowledge, knowledge-cultures and sources of knowledge. The research made use of the joint interviews method. Interviews were run with representatives of different generations in 10 farming families in central Poland. The main research objective was to determine sources of farming knowledge among farmers. The use of joint interviews allowed for the identification of sources of knowledge of different kinds. These reflect a division into farmers' closer and more distant surroundings, i.e. to the family and neighbours on the one hand, and to institutions and media on the other. Knowledge acquisition among farmers is in fact found to be a complex process, reflecting socialisation in a multi-generation environment of family and neighbours, on the one hand, and the impact of the institutional and legal system, on the other. In a general sense, this corresponds to the well-known division of sources of knowledge into the tacit and the explicit, with the acquisition of tacit (i.e. informal) knowledge not meeting with any more major obstacles thanks to proximity in a sense that may be cultural (i.e. the agriculture itself), family-related (and in fact multi-generation) and spatial (physical proximity in a given locality). Microsocial conditioning thus plays a major role in the shaping of this source of knowledge. However, the most important factor distinguishing contemporary cultures as regards knowledge on farming is the capacity to adapt to conditions set by the institutions supporting the latter's development. Formal knowledge flowing into farming families from their institutional surroundings requires growing adaptability and preparation if a succession of innovations are to be taken on board. The multi-source nature of knowledge and the achievement of some kind of balance in this respect actually poses a major challenge for the future functioning of family farms as cultural microsystems.
11 pages., Via online article, A “digital revolution” in agriculture is underway. Advanced technologies like sensors, artificial intelligence, and robotics are increasingly being promoted as a means to increase food production efficiency while minimizing resource use. In the process, agricultural digitalization raises critical social questions about the implications for diverse agricultural labourers and rural spaces as digitalization evolves. In this paper, we use literature and field data to outline some key trends being observed at the nexus of agricultural production, technology, and labour in North America, with a particular focus on the Canadian context. Using the data, we highlight three key tensions observed: rising land costs and automation; the development of a high-skill/low-skilled bifurcated labour market; and issues around the control of digital data. With these tensions in mind, we use a social justice lens to consider the potential implications of digital agricultural technologies for farm labour and rural communities, which directs our attention to racial exploitation in agricultural labour specifically. In exploring these tensions, we argue that policy and research must further examine how to shift the trajectory of digitalization in ways that support food production as well as marginalized agricultural labourers, while pointing to key areas for future research—which is lacking to date. We emphasize that the current enthusiasm for digital agriculture should not blind us to the specific ways that new technologies intensify exploitation and deepen both labour and spatial marginalization.
14 pages., Via online journal., During recent years, one of the most familiar name scaling new heights and creating a benchmark is Internet of Things (IoT). It is indeed the future of communication that has transformed Things (Objects) of the real world into smarter devices. The functional aspect of IoT is to unite every object of the world in such a manner that humans have the ability to control them via Internet. Furthermore, these objects also provide regular as well as timely updates on their current status to its end user. Although IoT concepts were proposed a couple of years ago, it may not be incorrect to quote that this term has become a benchmark for establishing communication among objects. In context to the present standings of IoT, identification of the most prominent applications in the field of IoT have been highlighted and a comprehensive review has been done specifically in the field of Precision Agriculture. This article evaluates contributions made by various researchers and academicians over the past few years. Furthermore, existing challenges faced while performing agricultural activities have been highlighted along with future research directions to equip novel researchers of this domain to assess the current standings of IoT and to further improve upon them with more inspiring and innovative ideas.
14 pages., Via online journal., Green technology is the means of improving towards the rising environmental concern. The implication of green fertilizer technology (GFT) is the need for the modern development of environmentally friendly technology, also to increase the production level among all the agriculture crops. It is especially needed for paddy production, as it has always been considered as an important commodity because it is the main staple food for the nation. Paddy production in Malaysia using GFT allows for sustainable development and boosts the yield. Nevertheless, the adoption rate of GFT is unsatisfactory in most of the developing countries, including in Malaysia. The fact that the cost of production is considerably higher results in low-level perception regarding the adoption of GFT. Hence, the integration of communication and technology factors could become one of the main elements for the further development of the paddy sector in Malaysia. The overall objective of this research study will identify the factors that determine paddy farmer's adoption decision on GFT in Malaysia. To do so, a literature review was compiled on the topic of agriculture innovation-based adoption decision theories such as Diffusion of innovation (DOI), Theory of reasoned action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology acceptance model (TAM) and communication channels to study paddy farmers' adoption decision of GFT. The results of the review revealed that this framework highlights adoption as an intricate behavior, interweaving aspects such as communication channels, socio-psychological and innovation attribute considerations. The conceptual framework illuminates the decision towards adoption as a self-motivated process, assumes a composite interaction among groups of variables coming from two different theories. The combination of DOI, TRA, TPB, TAM and communication channels overcome some limitations that arise when the only theory is used to examine the adoption decision among paddy farmers in Malaysia. Correspondingly, there has been limited empirical research done on the decision of adoption toward GFT use among paddy farmers in Malaysia.
Eitzinger, Anton (author), Cock, James (author), Atzmanstorfer, Karl (author), Binder, Claudia R. (author), Läderach, Peter (author), Bonilla-Findji, Osana (author), Bartlin, Mona (author), Mwongera, Caroline (author), Zurita, Leo (author), and Jarvis, Andy (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-03
Published:
Germany: Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10292
13 pages., Via online journal., Farmers can manage their crops and farms better if they can communicate their experiences, both positive and negative, with each other and with experts. Digital agriculture using internet communication technology (ICT) may facilitate the sharing of experiences between farmers themselves and with experts and others interested in agriculture. ICT approaches in agriculture are, however, still out of the reach of many farmers. The reasons are lack of connectivity, missing capacity building and poor usability of ICT applications. We decided to tackle this problem through cost-effective, easy to use ICT approaches, based on infrastructure and services currently available to small-scale producers in developing areas. Working through a participatory design approach, we developed and tested a novel technology. GeoFarmer provides near real-time, two-way data flows that support processes of co-innovation in agricultural development projects. It can be used as a cost-effective ICT-based platform to monitor agricultural production systems with interactive feedback between the users, within pre-defined geographical domains. We tested GeoFarmer in four geographic domains associated with ongoing agricultural development projects in East and West Africa and Latin America. We demonstrate that GeoFarmer is a cost-effective means of providing and sharing opportune indicators of on-farm performance. It is a potentially useful tool that farmers and agricultural practitioners can use to manage their crops and farms better, reduce risk, increase productivity and improve their livelihoods.
Ranjan, Pranay (author), Wardroppe, Chloe B. (author), Eanes, Francis R. (author), Reddy, Sheila M. W. (author), Harden, Seth C. (author), Masuda, Yuta J. (author), and Prokopy, Linda S. (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-01
Published:
USA: Science Direct
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 8 Document Number: D10297
10 pages., Via online journal., Agricultural conservation programs often focus on farm operators when promoting conservation practices. However, much of U.S. farmland is owned by landowners not directly involved in farm operations. Rental arrangements on these lands can dis-incentivize the adoption of conservation practices that could improve soil health, water quality, and land values. To date, agricultural conservation policy has largely ignored the role of non-operating landowners (NOLs) and rental arrangements. We help improve the evidence-base for policy by identifying barriers to adoption of conservation practices on rented farmlands. Analysis of forty interviews with NOLs, operators, farm managers and university extension personnel in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana revealed five categories of barriers: cash rent lease terms, rental market dynamics, information deficits/asymmetries, cognitive/interpersonal, and financial motivations. Some barriers, such as risk aversion and farm aesthetics were expressed by both NOLs and operators, while other barriers, such as status quo bias and annual renewal of leases were only expressed by NOLs and operators, respectively. To overcome barriers to conservation, interviewees recommended improving communication between NOLs and operators and modifying cash rent lease terms in order to build in flexibility for equitable sharing of risks and rewards. Agricultural conservation programs could readily apply these results—possibly working with intermediaries (e.g., farm managers, lawyers)—to offer communication and lease tools and assistance to NOLS and operators. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of these conservation interventions and how intermediaries affect the balance of power between NOLs and operators.
Aldosari, Fahad (author), Al Shunaifi, Mohamed Saleh (author), Ullah, Muhammad Amjad (author), Muddassir, Muhammad (author), and Noor, Mehmood Ali (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-04
Published:
Saudi Arabia: Science Direct
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 8 Document Number: D10318
7 pages., Via online journal., Like many developing countries, agriculture is seen as the vehicle for development also in Pakistan. Our study was aimed to identify the perceptions of farmer community towards the electronic media and relationship between different demographic characteristics of respondents with the use of electronic communication of TV and radio, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), a province of Pakistan. Random sampling technique was used for selecting 183 respondents. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Chi-square. Results revealed that maximum respondents were agreed that mobile and internet can be a useful source of agricultural information and only 1.6 and 5.5% of the respondents were strongly disagreed about information means, respectively. A maximum number of the respondents were undecided about “agricultural helpline can be a useful source of agricultural information”, only 14.2% of the respondents were strongly agreed with this statement. A highly significant relationship was found between age of respondents and application of information received through radio and TV. On the other side, education of the respondents had a highly significant relationship with the application of information received through radio only. Farming experience of the respondents had no significant relationship with the application of information received through TV and radio. Results suggested that extension personnel should motivate and educate the farming community about the use of electronic media (TV, radio, helpline, internet, mobile) for advanced information about agriculture production techniques.
11 pages., Via online journal article., As climate change is expected to significantly affect agricultural systems globally, agricultural farm advisors have been increasingly recognized as an important resource in helping farmers address these challenges. While there have been many studies exploring the climate change belief and risk perceptions as well as behaviors of both farmers and agricultural farm advisors, there are very few studies that have explored how these perceptions relate to actual climate impacts in agriculture. Here we couple survey data from United States Department of Agriculture farm service employees (n = 6, 514) with historical crop loss data across the United States to explore the relationship of actual climate-related crop losses on farm to farm advisor perceptions of climate change and future farmer needs. Using structural equation modelling we find that among farm advisors that work directly with farms on disaster and crop loss issues, there is a significant positive relationship between crop loss and perceived weather variability changes, while across all farm advisors crop loss is associated with reduced likelihood to believe in anthropogenic climate change. Further, we find that weather variability perceptions are the most consistently and highly correlated with farm advisors' perceptions about the need for farm adaptation and future farmer needs. These results suggest that seeing crop loss may not lead to climate change belief, but may drive weather variability perceptions, which in turn affect farm adaptation perceptions. This lends further evidence to the debate over terminology in climate change communication and outreach, suggesting that weather variability may be the most salient among agricultural advisors.
23 pages., Via online journal., This study draws on a culturally centered collaboration with a community of dalit women farmers in South India who were organized in a cooperative in their collective resistance against the corporatization of agriculture. Situated in the backdrop of the epidemic of farmer suicides in the region, this manuscript examines how those at the margins of global neoliberal transformations symbolically and materially make sense of and resist these transformations. The voices of the women farmers disrupt the underlying neoliberal assumptions that undergird the importation of cash crop agriculture into a subsistence and community-centered farming culture. They depict the ways in which Western cash crop agriculture disrupts community, food security, local health care systems, and the unique gender relations. Moreover, the communication advocacy work carried out by the women seeks to transform agricultural policy through material interventions as alternative practices of agriculture that challenge the hegemony of cash-based individualized agriculture.
Toepfer, Stefan (author), Kuhlmann, Ulrich (author), Kansiime, Monica (author), Onyango Owino, David (author), Tamsin, Davis (author), Cameron, Katherine (author), and Day, Roger (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-04
Published:
Germany: Springer
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10360
4 pages., Via online journal., This is an opinion paper to the perspective paper “The spread of the Fall Army Worm Spodoptera frugiperda in Africa—what should be done next?” from the “Section Plant Protection in the Tropics and Subtropics” at the 61st German Congress of Plant Protection, held at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, on 11 September 2018. It highlights the best approaches in communication, information sharing, and advisory services to raise awareness for fall armyworm detection and area-wide management by farmers.
12 pages., Article 452, Via online journal., Storytelling is a mode of communication in human interaction and is pervasive in everyday life. Storytelling in marketing is also a managerial application as a marketing strategy. Researchers of consumer psychology and marketing have devoted great efforts to developing theories and conducting empirical studies on this approach. However, in addition to narrative theories, many researchers are mainly concerned about the effect of telling a good brand story and its applications, such as advertising design and presentation. However, for those products that usually lacks branding, such as agricultural products, knowledge remains scarce about the relative impact of storytelling in marketing. Few researchers have explicitly developed a valid tool for measuring the effect of storytelling in marketing. To aid storytelling research in consumer psychology, this article conceptualized a construct of the effectiveness of storytelling in agricultural marketing and developed a measure with further validation. This scale consisted of 13 items with four subscales: narrative processing, affect, brand attitude, and purchase intention. The findings of this study supported a structural model with strong order among the four dimensions and good model fit. A discussion of the results and the theoretical and practical implications for consumer psychology and marketing practice are also addressed.
Singh, Lakhan (author), Bishnoi, Rajesh (author), Bihari, Bankey (author), Madan, S. (author), Malik, Anil Kumar (author), Shrimali, S. S . (author), Kadam, M. D. (author), and Singh, Raman Jeet (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-02
Published:
India
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10368
7 pages., Via online journal., The effectiveness of an extension system referred to its ability to meet the fanner needs in providing the new technology which suits to their conditions and results in better production. Recently the demand for information on agricultural practices and technology among the farmers is increasing day by day but fulfilment of these demands exclusively by public agricultural extension system is limited. To address this challenge, information communication technology (ICT) has the immense role in supplementing the extension system. Among the ICT tools, mobile phone, because of its affordability, accessibility, minimum skill requirement, widespread network etc., has emerged as important tool for information and knowledge dissemination to the smallholder and marginal farmers. But it is necessary to study how effective they are in achieving the respective objectives.The present investigation was conducted to study the effectiveness of mKRISHI (R) PAWS (Personalised Advisory on Water and Soil) in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand state. An ex-post facto research design was used for this study. Total 136 messages were sent to the respondents. The data was collected from 240 beneficiary farmers of the north-western Himalayan region. The effectiveness of the mKRISHI (R) PAWS in technology advisory and delivery services were measured by developing an effectiveness index for the purpose. Results showed that 93.8% of farmers perceive that quality of information regarding the latest NRM technologies in soil and water conservation was excellent and 83.75% of the farmers felt that the information regarding the latest NRM technologies in soil and water conservation was appropriate to their condition. The study revealed that the extension services delivered by mKRISHI (R) PAWS were found to be highly effective by majority of the farmers. 34.58% fanners perceived that the mKRISHI (R) PAWS was very highly effective as a mean of getting their information needs.
Eanes, Francis R. (author), Singh, Ajay S. (author), Bulla, Brian R. (author), Ranjan, Pranay (author), Fales, Mary (author), Wickerham, Benjamin (author), Doran, Patrick J. (author), and Prokopy, Linda S. (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-02
Published:
Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10369
11 pages., Via online journal., Federal agricultural land use policies in the United States aimed at protecting soil health and water quality typically rely on persuading individual farmers to voluntarily adopt conservation practices. An expanding body of literature suggests that private sector intermediaries, such as crop advisers, are increasingly trusted sources of information for farmers about conservation practices and thus may be persuasive actors in the conservation-adoption realm. While previous studies have explored farmers’ perceptions of crop advisers facilitating conservation practice adoption and participating in conservation programs in agricultural landscapes, little research to date has explored crop advisers’ perceptions of this role, and few agricultural land use policies have explicitly included crop advisers as conservation partners. This study fills a critical void in the literature by evaluating the Saginaw Bay Regional Conservation Partnership Program, an innovative agricultural policy that relies on crop advisers to recruit farmers into the program and assist them with the adoption of conservation practices. Through a survey and interviews with crop advisers in the Saginaw Bay watershed in Michigan, USA, we explore crop advisers’ perceptions of their role in the program and of delivering conservation information to farmers. We found that crop advisers have positive attitudes towards land/water resources and conservation practices, believe they have an important intermediary role to play in facilitating conservation practice adoption, and believe their supervisors are supportive of them promoting conservation. However, difficulties in collaboration and communication between the private and governmental sectors – resulting from perceived differences, operational differences, and territoriality – present a key barrier to crop advisers increasing their intermediary role in the promotion and implementation of federal conservation programs. Future research and policy initiatives should explore how to address public-private territoriality and whether crop advisers should be incentivized to deliver information about conservation practices and/or assist in enrolling farmers in federal conservation programs.
Gallardo, Karina R. (author), Grant, Kara (author), Brown, David J. (author), McFerson, James R. (author), Lewis, Karen M. (author), Einhorn, Todd (author), Sazo, Mario Miranda (author), and Washington State University
Michigan State University
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2019-02-28
Published:
United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 15 Document Number: D10435
12 pages., Via online journal., Advances in precision agriculture technologies provide opportunities to improve the efficiency of agricultural production systems, especially for high-value specialty crops such as fresh apples (Malus domestica). We distributed an online survey to apple growers in Washington, New York, and Michigan to elicit stakeholder perceptions of precision agriculture technologies. Findings from this study demonstrated that growers are willing to adopt precision agriculture technologies when they receive results from applied research projects and are engaged with active extension programs. The availability of customized services and purchasing and rental options may minimize the effects of the economies of size that create barriers to adopting increasing access to technologies. Finally, respondents deemed collaborative efforts between industry and academic institutions crucial for adapting the innovation to better address the needs of growers.
14 pages., via online journal., Issue arenas, as places for societal discussions, have recently been studied as an important aspect of organizational environments. While a fundamental part of any issue arena is the distinction between active and passive actors, empirical analyses have mainly focused on active stakeholders. We approach issue arenas as communication networks in which active stakeholders discuss topics and involve passive stakeholders. Based on network theory, we introduce an automated method for mapping these issue arenas on Twitter. In particular, we combine manual coding of active stakeholders, and automated semantic network analysis of addressed, passive stakeholders and their topics of discussion. Empirically, we focus on the issue of bird flu affecting poultry farming in the Netherlands from 2015 to 2017 with a sample of 704 Twitter messages. Instead of pre-defining a set of stakeholders for the analysis, our approach to study communication networks in online settings allows for mapping issue arenas based on the stakeholders that communicate about the topic.
9 pages., via online journal., A large body of research documents cross-cultural differences in manual and non-manual pointing. These findings have often been explained as being due to pragmatic, linguistic, cultural, and bodily constraints. The current study narrowed the plausible range of candidates for explaining the pointing preferences, focusing specifically on manual availability. We examined pointing preferences by administering a referential communication task in two types of communities which share a national identity, geographic environment, ethnicity, cultural background, and language and yet vary in their degree of hand availability: farming and herding communities in southwestern China. Our findings show that farmers, who emphasize the use of manual labour in intensive subsistence farming, were more likely to use non-manual pointing in the task than herders, who demonstrate a higher degree of manual availability in the rearing of animals. This research has implications for how the availability of the hands in economic activities may have lasting consequences on cultural pointing practices.
20 pages., via online journal., During the last 10 years, different initiatives have been implemented to provide mobile-based extension services for the agricultural sector in Egypt. The current study compared the quality of agricultural extension messages between public and private providers. A simple random sample of 120 farmers was selected representing 7% of the total farmers registered in the databases of Ministry of Agriculture (public services) and Shoura company (private services). Farmers assessed a sample of 10 messages delivered by both providers in terms of six indicators namely (1) access, (2) utilization, (3) timeliness, (4) trust, (5) satisfaction, and (6) sharing information with other farmers. The findings revealed the lack of access to messages by the farmers in the two services. However, more than 50% had utilized the majority of messages (in case of access). The study also showed significant differences between perception of farmers to quality attributes in public and private services (Access 6.77, 0.01; Utilization 8.44, 0.004; Timeliness 8.55, 0.002; Satisfaction 8.88, 0.001; information sharing 7.62, 0.009) except for trust (1.11, 0.4). Findings provide practical implications to support mobile-based extension services to enable sharing information and link farmers with other actors in the agricultural value chain.
Abstract via online journal. 2 pages., Technological innovation is vital to economic growth and food security in sub-Saharan Africa where agricultural productivity has been stagnant for a long time. Extension services and learning from peer farmers are two common approaches to facilitate the diffusion of new technologies, but little is known about their relative effectiveness. Selection bias, whereby well-motivated training participants would perform better even without extension services, as well as knowledge spillovers, where non-participants can indirectly benefit from extension services, are among the major threats to causal inference. Using a unique sequential randomized experiment on agricultural training, this study attempts to meet the dual objectives of executing rigorous impact evaluation of extension services and subsequent spillovers on rice production in Cote d’Ivoire. Specifically, to reduce selection bias, we randomly assigned eligibility for training participation; and to satisfy the stable unit treatment value assumption, control-group farmers were initially restricted from exchanging information with treated-group farmers who had received rice management training. Once some positive impacts were confirmed, information exchange between the treated and control farmers was encouraged. We found that the initial performance gaps created by the randomized assignment disappeared over time, due presumably to social learning from peer farmers. A detailed analysis concerning the information network and peer effects provided suggestive evidence that there were information and technology spillovers from treated to control farmers after removing the information exchange restriction. Overall, our study demonstrates that information dissemination by farmers can be as effective in improving practices as the initial training provided by extension services.
USA: The Center for Good Integrity. Gladstone, Missouri.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10561
Notes:
3 pages., Online from the Center for Food Integrity, Gladstone, Missouri., Features research results indicating that public conversation about the environment is growing and so is the scrutiny applied to consumption of natural resources. Information source urges producers to engage more actively.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10562
Notes:
3 pages., via blog from Janzen Ag Law - online via AgriMarketing Weekly., Since big data arrived in agriculture a few years ago, I have watched companies struggle with how to address farmers' concerns with ag data privacy, security, and control. Some companies have started with a clean sheet of paper and drafted agreements that reflect what they actually do. Others have taken a short cut by cutting and pasting agreements from other industries. The result is that contracts for ag data collection, use and sharing are inconsistent and often miss the point-to communicate the company's intentions with users.
Ben-Othmen, Marie Asma (author) and Ostapchuk, Mariia (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2019-05
Published:
France
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10583
Notes:
16 pages., Paper presented at the 172nd European Association of Agricultural Economists Seminar,"Agricultural policy for the environment or environmental policy for agriculture?" Brussels, Belgium, May 28-29, 2019., via database., Results of this study indicate that environmental consideration is not the key factor behind farmers' preference involving land restoration programs. The financial component remains the main incentive.
13 pages., Article #: 3FEA2, via online journal., A multiple indicators, multiple causes, or MIMIC, modeling framework can be used for analyzing a variety of farmer decision-making situations where multiple outcomes are possible. Example applications include analyses of farmer use of multiple information sources, management practices, or technologies. We applied the framework to analyze use of multiple information sources by beef cattle farmers. We provide measures of how farmer demographics, farm characteristics, and risk attitudes influenced farmer use of information from Extension, producer groups, popular press, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Internet, and other farmers. Education and greater willingness to take risk positively influenced information use among the farmers we studied. Our process has implications for broader use within Extension.
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.
32 pages., via online journal., The phrase in the title is not mine. I am borrowing it here from syndicated
columnist and cowboy poet Baxter Black, who borrowed the title of one
of his own columns “Growth of Agricultural Ignorance” from the editor of
the Delmarva Farmer (a weekly agricultural publication serving the Delaware,
Maryland, and Virginia region). In many ways I agree with the term, and
believe it is accurate in part to describe American society in the late twentieth
century and into the twenty-first. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity
to discuss some trends in American agriculture, and for that matter, agricultural history, and some concerns that I have about them. Not all the trends are bad, of course, and perhaps in some ways, at least, American society is less agriculturally ignorant than Black and others suggest.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10673
Notes:
4 pages., via Scientific American website., Opinion piece by Esther Ngumbi, a distinguished postdoctoral researcher at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Entomology Department and a Food Security, on why she believes there needs to be a bigger emphasis on public communication by scientists.
19 pages., via online journal., Vegetable farming is the main source of livelihood for smallholder farmers in Eswatini. However, the production and marketing challenges they faced inhibits the farmers from benefiting fully, which calls for relational transactions to enhance exchange efficiency. Therefore, this study aims to determine the nature of relationship constructs between vegetable farmers selling to formal and informal channels. Data elicited from 170 farmers were analysed using factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and discriminant analysis. Results revealed that farmers derived satisfaction from the price offered and communication, while trust was derived from satisfaction, communication and duration of the relationship, and commitment was derived from trust in both channels. The discriminant analysis results revealed that there is statistical significant difference between the channels. Farmers supplying formal markets perceived levels of satisfaction, trust, and commitment better than those supplying informal markets. The results also indicated that satisfaction and trust were the best predictors of the nature of the relationships. The lack of written contracts and low produce quantity purchased by the formal markets contributes to the low-level establishment of the farmer-buyer relationships. Therefore, coordinated supply chains and supplier-development approaches are necessary to complement the logistical requirements associated with fresh produce and to create mutual benefits.
13 pages., via online journal., The study explores the impacts of Nepali farmers’ climate change perceptions on their farming practices over the last three decades (1980–2014). Results from a survey with 496 farmers show that nearly all farmers attributed changes in crop varieties and cropping patterns mainly to technological and market-related factors and not to climate change. A comparison between perceptions and meteorological data shows that while perceptions of changes in maximum temperatures did match observed trends, perceptions of changes in minimum temperature and rainfall did not. The results indicate that the climate change message in the past 30 years has not been definite enough to have a consistent impact on either farmers’ perceptions or their farming practices. This may impede farmers’ adaptive capacity in dealing with increasingly severe future climate change impacts. Because of large variations in the micro-climate of the study locations and the locations of the weather stations from which we obtained the meteorological data, the results need to be treated with caution. However, we suggest that for farmers to effectively adapt to climate change, it may be necessary for responsible state and non-state actors to improve their communication on expected climate change impacts.
15 pages., via online journal., This study aimed to analyse the mediating role of farmers' time perspective in water resources exploitation behaviour/s (WREB). The study was descriptive correlational and causal relational and was carried out using a survey. The statistical population consisted of farmers in the eastern area of Lake Urmia (N = 232 295), of whom 386 persons were selected using a stratified random sampling method. The instrument was a questionnaire, whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. Its reliability was also verified by performing the Cronbach's alpha test (0.60 ≥ α ≥ 0.94). The causal framework is presented based on the findings. In such a condition, self‐efficacy, psychological needs and time perspective had the highest total causal effect on farmers' WREB. Moreover, the results confirmed the mediating role of time perspective (as a personal variable) and time norms (as a social variable) in WREB. Therefore, the proper conduct of farmers' WREB needs to provide a futuristic perspective, which is also confirmed by social norms.
19 pages., via online journal., Agricultural e‐commerce clusters are new phenomena that have emerged in rural China. In examining the case of Shuyang County in Jiangsu Province, this paper puts forward an integrated model revealing the formation mechanism of agricultural e‐commerce clusters. The paper shows that the formation of agricultural e‐commerce clusters involves four processes of technology introduction, technology diffusion, quality crisis, and industrial agglomeration based on elements such as industry bases, e‐commerce platforms, network facilities, logistics services, entrepreneurial talent, local government, and market demand. Rural social networks and imitation behaviors promote technology diffusion by reducing the cost of technology introduction, and industrial agglomeration is found in the economies showing a deepening of labor divisions and geographic agglomeration. Throughout the formation process, a quality crisis may occur due to a race to the bottom and the opportunistic behaviors of local farmers. This work suggests that regional e‐commerce development is a systematic project. Governments of developing countries should not only realize the positive impacts of e‐commerce for the development of the agricultural industry but also recognize the premise and logic of how e‐commerce can play a prominent role.
16 pages., via online journal., To date, little is known about how information flows within farmer groups and how extension interventions could be designed to deliver combined information on agriculture and nutrition. This study uses unique network data from 815 farm households in Kenya to investigate the structure and characteristics of agricultural and nutrition information networks within farmer groups. Dyadic regressions are used to analyze the factors influencing link formation for the exchange of agricultural and nutrition information. In addition, we apply fixed‐effects models to identify the characteristics of central persons driving information exchange in the two networks, as well as potentially isolated persons, who are excluded from information networks within their farmer groups. Our results show that nutrition information is exchanged within farmer groups, although to a limited extent, and mostly flows through the existing agricultural information links. Thus, diffusing nutrition information through agricultural extension systems may be a viable approach. Our findings further suggest that group leaders and persons living in central locations are important drivers in the diffusion of information in both networks and may thus serve as suitable entry points for nutrition‐sensitive extension programs. However, we also identify important heterogeneities in network characteristics. In particular, nutrition information is less often exchanged between men and women, and some group members are completely isolated from nutrition information exchange within their farmer groups. We derive recommendations on taking these differences in network structure and characteristics into account when designing nutrition‐sensitive extension programs.
16 pages., via online journal., raceability system has received wide attention in solving food safety issues, via which food information could be tracked back to producer/farmers. Consumers need to obtain this information from producers or social networks, trust in the information, and consequently assess perceived risks, especially when food scandals are exposed to the media. In this study, we introduce the social embeddedness theory to understand how consumers' social activities affect their risk perceptions on traceable food. Specifically, we investigate how risk perceptions are predicted by the interpersonal relationships, organizational level and social-level relationships. Results show that the interpersonal relationships were associated with lower levels of risk perceptions, while organizational and social relationships impacted consumer's risk perceptions at middle and higher levels, respectively. Results also show that the “ripple effect” extended to effect of risk events with negative information, however, did not exist for the group exposed to positive information. Potential food safety implications have been proposed to identify for effective risk mitigation under media coverages.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 82 Document Number: D10831
Notes:
10 pages., via website AgWeb's Farm Journal, In their story, “Plowed Under, The Next American Farm Bust Is Upon Us,” (paywall) the Wall Street Journal reported on the tough times we’re facing in agriculture. They are tough. And, as a corn and soybean farmer, it’s painful to see. But farmers are nothing if not resilient. And we’ll survive this one too.
12 pages., via online journal., In recent years, there has been extensive investment in e-governance throughout the developing world. Still, little is known about the impact of those investments, partly due to a lack of assessment guidance. In this study modified sustainable livelihood framework approach was used for studying impact of the project on farmers. Before and after data was collected from the registered farmers using recall method to assess the impact of the project on all five types of capital (Natural capital, financial capital, human capital, physical capital and social capital). It was found that after implementation of the project, in the category of natural capital, average production and average sold quantity of rice, wheat, pigeon pea, mustard, and green gram has been significantly increased and in the category of financial capital, respondents’ average family income, earning from agriculture and allied sector and benefit from government schemes has been significantly increased and in the category of human capital, average number of training received by respondents and average number of extension contacts made by respondents has been significantly increased and in the category of physical capital, average storage facility has been increased by respondents and in the category of social capital, average number of meetings attended by respondents in Krishi Gyan Kendra has been significantly increased.
An accompanying paper of the same title represents an earlier version of the journal article, including the Figure 1 and Reference list not included in the html version of the journal article., Via online., Information technology has developed rapidly, particularly in the area of social media. Almost all groups in society now use social media in their day to day activities, and one group that has been greatly impacted is young farmers. Before this era, farmers had difficulty accessing information. This study aims to find out what benefits are obtained and obstacles encountered by the use of social media in farming activities by the young farmers. This paper is descriptive explorative by using a qualitative approach. The data collection technique itself uses in-depth interviews, observations, literature studies, and documentation. The research location was in Bulukerto Village, Bumiaji Sub-District, Batu City which was carried out from November to December, 2017. The informants were chosen because they already used new media to support their farming activities. The result is the use of social media in the agricultural sector is widely used by young farmers in order to increase revenue and to seek information. Even so, there are still a number of problems faced by young farmers when utilizing social media, namely those interested in buying and selling online for agricultural products are not as high as other products and about the trust. The advice that can be given is farmers must post photos of products on Instagram with good pictures and caption. They also can tag others to reshare and spread the product information.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10892
Notes:
Online from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, Lexington, Kentucky, Rural Blog. 3 pages., Describes the editorial approach of two award-winning local newspapers in focusing on the human toll of changing market forces in the dairy industry.
Hapsari, H. (author), Hapsari, D. (author), Karyani, T. (author), and Fatimah, S. (author)
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
IOP Publishing Ltd
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10909
Journal Title Details:
306
Notes:
10 pages., IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, via IOPScience website., Climate change is a threat to indigenous farming systems that rely on nature. Indigenous society has idiosyncrasies in managing agricultural systems that relate to nature. This study aims to examine the adaptation mechanism of indigenous farming systems to climate change in terms of social, economic, and technological aspects. The study was conducted in Indigenous Village of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar of Sukabumi Regency West Java. The research method is case study. The technique of collecting data through in-depth interviews with selected informants, participant observation, and focus group discussion (FGD). The results showed that the indigenous society of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar experienced the changes that occur in the environment as a result of climate change. Strategies to adapt to these changes, among others: (1) use natural resources in a sustainable manner, (2) preserve the customary positive impact on the environment, (3) do a crop rotation system, (4) managing the communal granary community food security system, (5) maintaining social values in the society, (6) establish cooperation with the agricultural institutions; (7) utilizing communication networks and information systems; (8) with some help from external parties in the repair of facilities and infrastructure, such as transportation and irrigation; (9) perform the processing of non-rice farming profit-oriented, and (10) instilling the values of local wisdom to the younger generation from an early age.
Spurk, Christoph (author), Asule, Pamellah (author), Ofori-Baah, Rebecca (author), Chikopela, Louis (author), Diarra, Boubacar (author), Koch, Carmen (author), and Wageningen University
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-08-21
Published:
Netherlands: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: D10944
22 pages, via online journal article, Purpose: Soil fertility is decreasing in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. To mitigate this trend, various agricultural technologies are available, but their uptake by farmers has been low. Perception of the problem, information exposure, and knowledge play a major role in adoption of technologies. This study assessed empirically the levels of perception, knowledge and information exposure among African farmers as an indicator for potential adoption of soil fertility technologies.
Design/Methodology/approach: The study used survey data of more than 2,400 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling from Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The survey investigated socio-economic factors, exposure to media, perception and knowledge of soil fertility and other information.
Findings: Many farmers did not perceive soil fertility as a major challenge, except in Mali; farmers were hardly receiving information on soil fertility from professional agricultural sources, and they often lacked accurate knowledge about soil fertility technologies. Radio was by far the most used information source for farmers.
Practical implications: The study has exposed the need for interventions to increase awareness, information exposure, and knowledge about soil fertility among farmers to strengthen the adoption of soil fertility technologies. It also calls for innovative ways of strengthening extension services through links with radio.
Theoretical implications: The role of communication in the uptake of agricultural innovations is still under-researched, and hence this study exposes the need to investigate in-depth knowledge, perception levels, and quality and frequency of information exposure on various channels of soil fertility management.
Originality: This is one of the few studies empirically measuring perception, information frequency on various channels, and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in African countries.
15 pages, via online journal, Purpose: The effectiveness of new extension approaches hinges on farmers’ willingness to adopt innovative ways to interact with extension. Therefore, this study explored farmers’ willingness to use mobile text messaging for two-way interactions with Ministry Extension officers.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study followed a correlational design and survey data were conveniently collected from 200 farmers of Trinidad.
Findings: Findings showed most farmers of the sample knew how to send and receive text messages, and many owned Internet-enabled smartphones. In addition, most farmers were willing to communicate with extension officers through text messages.
Practical Implications: Ministry Extension should revisit and revise their policies of communicating with farmers. Administrators should encourage extension officers to use SMS to respond to farmers’ requests and information needs.
Theoretical Implications: While the UTAUT provided an appropriate framework for understanding farmers’ use of text messaging, researchers should tailor the moderator variables to the country’s context.
Originality/Value: This study is the first to look at farmers’ willingness to use two-way information communication technologies in Trinidad. Results showed there is potential for Ministry Extension to use text messaging to communicate with farmers.
Manalo, Jaime A. IV (author), Pasiona, Sonny P. (author), Baustista, Anna Marie F. (author), Villaflor, Jennifer D. (author), Corpuz, Donna Chris P. (author), Biag-Manalo, Hanah Hazel Mavi (author), and Philippine Rice Research Institute
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-06-14
Published:
Philippines: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 109 Document Number: D10971
18 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This paper explores the intersections between community development and youth development in an initiative that mobilized farmers’ children as Rice Crop Manager (RCM) infomediaries (information mediators). RCM is an ICT-enabled nutrient management application.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study engaged 30 farmers’ children in high school level from the provinces of Pangasinan, Isabela, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Bukidnon, and Davao del Norte from November 2016 to October 2017. They interacted with the research team (the authors) and the RCM-SMS platform that sends text messages regarding fertilizer recommendations. A staff member from the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) also called the students for some follow-up questions. The research team conducted three rounds of interviews with the students concerning the messages and calls that they received and what they did with the information.
Findings: This study finds that farmers’ children can perform infomediary roles quite effectively. Academically excellent children and those involved in farm work performed best.
Practical Implications: The study provides guidance on similar initiatives tapping young people in agricultural development.
Theoretical Implications: This paper finds that while Community Youth Development (CYD) Theory provides a powerful lens in understanding community and youth development intersections, some identified outcomes may overlap and may not be very easy to observe. Hence, the identified outcomes may be revisited for clarity and to make them more all-encompassing.
Originality/Value: The paper documents actual parent-child interaction when the latter is mobilized to serve as an infomediary to access nutrient management-related information on rice.
16 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This study elucidates on how faculty supervision support to students during farm placements and other facilitating conditions influence farmer learning in the student-centred university outreach.
Methodology/Design/Approach: Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 283 farmers who had previously hosted students of Gulu University in the student-to-farmer university outreach. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse how faculty supervision support to students in combination with other facilitating conditions affect the formation of intentions for learning and actual farmer learning behaviour.
Findings: Faculty supervision support in the student-to-farmer outreach was found to significantly influence formation of intentions for learning (β = 0.380; t = 5.263; P < .01) and actual farmer learning behaviour (β = 0.182; t = 2.081; P < .05).
Practical implications: Faculty supervision support to students is critical to fostering lasting learning relationships in university outreach. Thus, it needs to be a part of the transformation agenda of the higher education sector for improved community linkages and innovation.
Theoretical implications: Empirical data obtained from the context of student-centred university outreach is used to extend the model of facilitating conditions.
Originality/Value: The study addresses how faculty supervision support together with farmers’ perception of student attitudes and the value of the learning content influence farmers’ learning behaviour during university outreach.
20 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This paper demystifies the processes, methodologies and outputs of three co-design projects, identifying how and to what extent are aims and principles of the multi-actor approach realised and upheld in the field. Implications from the cases for participatory principles are discussed.
Design/Methodology/approach: A detailed ethnographic account is presented of three multi-actor co-design cases, supporting diverse readers’ interpretations and learnings.
Findings: Three paradoxes were identifiable from the multi-actor processes: (1) outputs can be orphaned when they lack strong identifiers and affiliations with discrete professional communities outside of the co-design team; (2) combining diverse knowledges co-design can generate outputs that are new and strange (rather than familiar and acceptable) to end-users; (3) for Responsible Research and Innovation, co-creating interventions that are challenging (rather than popular) to society may be required.
Practical implications: Awareness of dynamics and paradoxes arising in the implementation of multi-actor co-design supports enhanced facilitation of processes and impacts of outcomes. Together, the paradoxes highlight the critical importance of communications and engagement initiatives across diverse communities in the aftermath of co-design efforts.
Theoretical implications: Although co-design processes are case-dependent, reflexive accounts of how they play out contribute to the body of knowledge of how co-design may be better understood. The cases in this paper identify paradoxes with implications for principles and theory of multi-actor co-design.
Originality/Value: This paper presents a detailed account of three unique co-design processes. Practical and theoretical implications of the cases are identified.
Jäckering, Lisa (author), Gödecke, Theda (author), Wollni, Meike (author), and Department of Agricultural Economics and
Rural Development, University of Goettingen,
Goettingen, Germany
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-07-10
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D10997
16 pages., Wiley Online Library, To date, little is known about how information flows within farmer groups and how extension interventions could be designed to deliver combined information on agriculture and nutrition. This study uses unique network data from 815 farm households in Kenya to investigate the structure and characteristics of agricultural and nutrition information networks within farmer groups. Dyadic regressions are used to analyze the factors influencing link formation for the exchange of agricultural and nutrition information. In addition, we apply fixed-effects models to identify the characteristics of central persons driving information exchange in the two networks, as well as potentially isolated persons, who are excluded from information networks within their farmer groups. Our results show that nutrition information is exchanged within farmer groups, although to a limited extent, and mostly flows through the existing agricultural information links. Thus, diffusing nutrition information through agricultural extension systems may be a viable approach. Our findings further suggest that group leaders and persons living in central locations are important drivers in the diffusion of information in both networks and may thus serve as suitable entry points for nutritionsensitive extension programs. However, we also identify important heterogeneities in network characteristics. In particular, nutrition information is less often exchanged between men and women, and some group members are completely isolated from nutrition information exchange within their farmer groups. We derive recommendations on taking these differences in network structure and characteristics into account when designing nutrition-sensitive extension programs.
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.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11002
Notes:
Online from the United Soybean Board via AgriMarketing Weekly. 2 pages., Summary of survey results reported in "Rural broadband and the American Farmer: Connectivity challenges limit agriculture's economic impact and sustainability." Findings reflected responses from more than 2,000 U.S. primary and secondary farm operators in a combination of online and mail-in surveys.
11 pages., via online journal., The purposes of this study was to determine the selected characteristics of the female farmers, to determine the information needs of the female farmers in practicing agriculture and to explore the relationship between information need and selected characteristics of the female farmers. Data were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 50 farmers out of 100 farmers of target group and 50 farmers out of 100 farmers of control group selected random sampling procedure from the beneficiaries of PROTIC project of Dimala upazila under Nilphamari district. Besides the usual descriptive statistical parameter, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used for the statistical analysis. The information needs were determined on 20 selected agricultural activities related information. It was revealed that the highest information needs was observed on ‘pesticides name’ in target groups. Lowest information needs was observed on ‘pond preparation’. In case of control groups the highest information needs was observed on pesticides name’ while lowest information needs was observed on ‘water quality management’ among the selected information of practicing agricultural activities. In target groups majority of the respondents (74 percent) mentioned medium information needs while 14 percent low and 12 percent high information needs. Among the control groups 62 percent farmers opined medium information needs while 16 percent mentioned about low information needs and 22 percent showed high information needs for practicing agricultural activities. In response to target groups it was observed that extension media contact and agricultural knowledge, annual income and aspiration while in response to control group farmers’ agricultural knowledge and aspiration are positively and age was negatively correlated with information needs of female farmers in practicing agriculture.
13 pages., via online journal., Communication plays a vital role in a developing society as it could be used for developing of perspectives. This study aimed to analyze the communication and perspectives on climate change among layer farmers in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines. Descriptive research design in a quantitative approach, along with distributed survey questionnaires to the respondents in the said municipality were utilized to answer the research objectives. Systematic random sampling was used to get the sample size of the layer farmers. Statistical tools such as frequency/percentage, weighted mean and Pearson’s correlation were also used. The layer farmers were greatly exposed in interpersonal communication platforms. Demonstration, meetings, seminars and trainings were of less extent. Radio, television and cellphones were widely used by the layer farmers, while very few had access on the internet. Furthermore, they agreed on food security, water sufficiency, ecological and environmental stability, human security and knowledge and capacity development. However, they moderately agreed on climate-smart industries and services, and sustainable energy. Findings also showed that there is a significant relationship between the layer farmers’ perspectives to the communication platforms they were exposed to.
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.
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."
2 pages, via online magazine archive, Several years ago, Farm Market iD saw that agribusinesses were struggling to use to the data and insights at their disposal to understand how they were performing in the market and needed modern-day data science to power decision-making. Given Farm Market iD's unique and powerful data and our ability to contextualize data to understand and interpret the agricultural market, we knew we had something valuable to offer.
12 pages., via online journal., This study explored the factors influencing the application of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) among farmers in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
The Punjab province is divided into three agro-ecological zones viz Northern, Central and
Southern. In this study, one district from each zone was randomly selected. Total sample
size comprises of 150 farmers. Farmers were interviewed using a self-administered
interview schedule comprising of open and close-ended questions. Respondents’ access to
ICTs was low level. Chi-square test revealed a significant association between the age of
respondents and adoption of ICTs. Young respondents were leading users of ICTs in the
study area. Size of landholding and income level of the respondents had a significant
association with the frequency of use of ICTs in agriculture. Among various ICTs tools,
mobile/cell phone attracted 47.3% of respondents to access agricultural information. Factors
militating use of ICTs include; electricity/power issues (x̄=2.95/3.00), language barriers
(x̄=2.93/3.00), limited knowledge and skills about ICTs (x̄=2.89/3.00), high cost
(x̄=2.87/3.00) and limited availability of ICTs (x̄=2.85/3.00). Extent of ICTs use to access
agricultural information can surge with t
3 pages., via online journal., Farm Innovators are regularly exchanging information and their experiences using WhatsApp messenger on their mobile phones. Most of the content shared was knowledge intensive with a mix of personal farming experiences. As Social constructivist learning theory seeks to improve socialinteractions to construct and share knowledge and the social networking through WhatsApp has proved to be potential to construct knowledge. Learning being the outcome of interactions between cognitive and psychological and the WhatsApp being the potential source for socialization and internalization promoted the creation ofsocial wealth in the form of discussion forums of Innovative farmers for learning exchange. The extension mechanism for purposeful farmer to farmer learning exchange has been created which in turn
is a step towards innovative farmer led extension delivery mechanism. The potential of not only WhatsApp but other social media need to be exploited to bring location specific and commodity oriented transformative changes in the agriculture extension delivery system. The experimentation with innovative farmers is not only helping in scaling the farmers’ innovations but also institutional innovations at large. As all human resources (labour, management, innovation, creativity) are products of social relationships, no one can reach maturity without the help of personally caring people, including their families, friends, neighbors, and communities. Farms and agricultural enterprises also depend on the ability of people to work together toward the common goal of ecological, social, and economic sustainability through social networks.
10 pages., Via online resource., Many smallholder farmers in developing countries grow multiple crop species on their farms, maintaining de facto crop diversity. Rarely do agricultural development strategies consider this crop diversity as an entry point for fostering agricultural innovation. This paper presents a case study, from an agricultural research-for-development project in northern Ghana, which examines the relationship between crop diversity and self-consumption of food crops, and cash income from crops sold by smallholder farmers in the target areas. By testing the presence and direction of these relationships, it is possible to assess whether smallholder farmers may benefit more from a diversification or a specialization agricultural development strategy for improving their livelihoods. Based on a household survey of 637 randomly selected households, we calculated crop diversity as well as its contribution to self-consumption (measured as imputed monetary value) and to cash income for each household. With these data we estimated a system of three simultaneous equations. Results show that households maintained high levels of crop diversity: up to eight crops grown, with an-average of 3.2 per household, and with less than 5% having a null or very low level of crop diversity. The value of crop species used for self-consumption was on average 55% higher than that of crop sales. Regression results show that crop diversity is positively associated with self-consumption of food crops, and cash income from crops sold. This finding suggests that increasing crop diversity opens market opportunities for households, while still contributing to self-consumption. Given these findings, crop diversification seems to be more beneficial to these farmers than specialization. For these diversified farmers, or others in similar contexts, interventions that assess and build on their de facto crop diversity are probably more likely to be successful.
Via online issue. 2 pages., Describes recent experience in which a packing house fire resulted in lower fed cattle prices and higher values of choice boxed beef cutout values - resulting in frustration and anger in cattle country.
Available online at www.centmapress.org, Results showed that the producers had seen a positive improvement in sales following acquisition of the regional food quality label, although they had not noticed greater interest in their products during campaigns to support awareness of the label.
Available online at www.centmapress.org, Results showed that different segments of producers had distinctive purchasing behaviors. Specifically, analytic-oriented producers tended to focus on product performance and less on the relationship with suppliers when buying their inputs. They also tended to be loyal to input brands, rely less on dealers/retailers and salespeople, and they are willing to change suppliers more often than other producers. Intuitive-oriented producers valued more the relationship with the supplier and are interested in contacting the salesperson if they need a product. Balanced-oriented producers declared to be less loyal to brands, but were more stable in terms of not changing input suppliers frequently.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11097
Notes:
Online from ACES News, University of Illinois. 2 pages., Findings of a survey among farmers in Wisconsin suggested that respondents were open to receiving agricultural health and safety information from any source. Preferred methods of delivery: magazines and newspapers, face-to-face communication. Least preferred: social media, the internet and phone support lines.
Via online. 5 pages., "Industry in a frenzy, trying to decode the sludge of public opinion while still getting used to the idea this is something to take seriously."
Solanki, Surabhi (author) and Verma, Seema (author)
Format:
Conference proceedings
Publication Date:
2019-06
Published:
Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11119
Notes:
8 pages., Proceedings of International Conference on Sustainable Computing in Science, Technology and Management., In any country, agriculture plays important role in the prospect of economy and sustainability. As technology grow day by day so it is necessary for the farmer to know about the technology, innovations and take them into practice, so they make strong themselves in terms of economic and sustainability. In this paper discussed the intensity exposure to information and communication technology and its relationship to the characteristics of farmers at different stages of adoption use of information and communication technology for different farm practices and also know the preferences of farmers regarding the use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT). In the continuation of this process conduct the personal interview to collect personal details of farmers as well as farm information that associate them to know about the adoption of information technology. The data collected through personal interview of farmers have been classified, tabulated and analyzed to know how efficiently and effectively information and communication technology disseminate farm information to the farmer.
10 pages., via online journal., Purpose: Agricultural extension graduates do not get jobs and farmers are not getting agricultural
extension services, and therefore, both the farmers and agricultural graduates do not receive benefi ts.
The study assessed the interest of agricultural extension students in providing private extension services
to farmers, examined their perception towards private extension services and identifi ed extension skills
possessed by the students.
Research Method: The study comprised all the fi nal year students in the Universities in Osun State. A
two – stage sampling procedure was used to select the respondents. One university was selected from
each category of federal, state and private. A total of 68 respondents were selected and interviewed.
Data collected were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings: The results show that the mean age, mean years of formal education of the respondents
were 23.75 ± 2.02 and 17.40 ± 1.16, respectively. About half (51.5%) of the respondents had positive
perception towards the private extension service while 57 percent had high interest in providing private
extension services. Majority of them possessed teaching skills (97.1%), innovation dissemination
skills (95.5%) and communication skills (88.2%). Also, sources of agricultural information available
(χ2=22.448), types of sponsors (χ2=6.102) and marital status (χ2=16.535) had a signifi cant association
with respondents’ interest in providing private agricultural extension services.
Research Limitation: The study focuses on the interest of agricultural extension graduates to provide
private extension services; however, these graduates may have an interest in other areas that have not
been investigated.
Original Value: The study provides an insight to show the interest and capability of agricultural students
to be engaged in private extension services as a livelihood
Oswald, Fabian (author) and Kalsruhe Institute of Technology
Format:
Dissertation
Publication Date:
2019-04-02
Published:
Germany: Kalsruhe Institute of Technology
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11122
Notes:
196 pages., via institutional depository., Fabin's work is based on Kilimo Media’s work. He sought to investigate how information flow through agricultural radio programs in local languages is structured and whether contemporary theories of science communication are observable in the practice of farm radio through a cross-case study approach. Fabian held qualitative interviews with local actors and group discussions with farmers in Kajiado, Marsabit and Kitui counties and three radio stations Bus radio, Radio Jangwani and Syokimau FM.
Wick, Abbey F. (author), Haley, Jean (author), Gasch, Caley (author), Wehlander, Terry (author), Briese, Lee (author), and Samson‐Liebig, Susan (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-06
Published:
Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11140
8 pages., via online journal., Farmer adoption of practices to build soil health can be enhanced using a knowledge network supported by programs and resources that incorporate technical, social and experiential learning pathways. University Extension plays a critical role in building and supporting the knowledge network by serving as (a) a boundary organization to create space for conversations to occur, (b) network manager to facilitate learning and (c) builder of social capital to encourage trust in the network. The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Soil Health Program was used to illustrate the above approach. Between 2014 and 2016, 32 informal discussion groups, called Soil Health Café Talks, reached 156 individuals. A knowledge network of all participants was developed using NodeXL. The 10 most influential individuals in the network included two scientists, five farmers, one crop consultant and two Extension specialists. All non‐NDSU participants received an evaluation form. Respondents increased their frequency of discussing cover crops with other individuals and increased sharing equipment across farming operations (i.e., vertical tillage implements and no‐till drills). Of the topics discussed, over 25% of respondents adopted practices using cover crops (interseeding and using cover crops for weed control and adjusting rotations to incorporate cover crops) as a result of attending Café Talks. Respondents also increased their use of NDSU Soil Health online resources such as Twitter (22%), YouTube (23%) and the web page (21%) as follow‐up information to Café Talks. Network‐based approaches have proven to be successful in encouraging on‐farm adoption of soil health‐building practices.
6 pages., via online journal., This research was conducted to find out the influence of agents on the results of empowerment of farmers, the effect of recipients on the results of the farmer empowerment, the effect of agricultural extension on the results of the farmer empowerment, and the influence of agents, recipients, and agricultural extension on the results of farmer empowerment. This research was carried out in May to July 2017. Quantitative descriptive method was applied by using primary and secondary data. Primary data obtained from interviews with 24 respondents who applied integrated crop management technology (PTT) on paddy fields. Technique of interview was guided with questionnaires while secondary data was taken from some literature work and relevant agencies. The results showed that: there is positive and significant influence between the agents and farmer empowerment, there is positive and significant influence between the recipients on the farmer empowerment, there is positive and significant influence between agricultural extension on the results of the farmer empowerment, and there is positive and significant influence between the agents, recipients, and agricultural extension on the results of farmer empowerment.
8 pages., via online journal., Social media provides huge opportunities and incentives that could ease promotion of agricultural extension, facilitate real-time service delivery and enable wider farmer coverage. Ineffective dissemination approaches, expanding farmer population, low staffing, and aging agricultural extension agents continue to negatively affect the provision of agricultural extension services in Kenya. Despite the social media potential in agricultural communication, lack of awareness and low usage in the rural areas of developing countries have been documented. This study sought to establish the level of social media familiarity among smallholder rural farmers with the aim of exploring the possibility of usage in agricultural extension. The study was undertaken in Thika Sub-County of Kiambu County on 140 farmers through a researcher administered semi-structured questionnaire. Probability-proportional-to-size sampling method was employed to derive the sample size from existing extension farmer groups. Simple random sampling technique was further used to identify the actual respondents from each group. A low level of social media familiarity was established among the farmers with education, age and gender having significant influence. The study recommends awareness creation initiatives to promote social media familiarity with a particular focus on women who form the bulk of the farmers but with the lowest level of social media knowledge.
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.
Keyser, Patrick (author), Schexnayder, Susan (author), Willcox, Adam (author), Bates, Gary (author), Boyer, Christopher N. (author), and Center for Native Grasslands Management
Human Dimensions Research Lab
University of Tennessee
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-12-12
Published:
United States: Extension Journal, Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 124 Document Number: D11232
10 pages, via online journal, Adoption of native warm-season grasses (NWSGs) in the tall fescue belt is limited despite studies documenting the potential contribution of these forages to profitable beef production. On the basis of two surveys conducted in Tennessee, a survey of beef producers and a survey of agricultural professionals, we evaluated perceptions of NWSG forages and how those perceptions could influence their adoption. Although agricultural professionals were more familiar with NWSGs than producers, both populations had limited knowledge regarding these forages, indicating that additional Extension education is needed. Our results provide useful guidance for developing NWSG forage educational programs for producers and agricultural professionals.
Ranjan, Pranay (author), Wardropper, Chloe B. (author), Eanes, Francis R. (author), Reddy, Sheila M.W. (author), Harden, Seth C. (author), Masuda, Yuta J. (author), and Prokopy, Linda S. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 130 Document Number: D11296
"To overcome barriers to conservation, interviewees recommended improving communication between NOLs [non-operating landowners] and operators and modifying cash rent lease terms in order to build in flexibility for equitable sharing of risks and rewards."
Online from AgEconSearch., Authors examined farmers' reluctance to participate and adopt insurance involving climate, crops, and rainfall. They also recommended needed information for farmers about the purpose of such insurance, as well as financial support.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11321
Notes:
17 pages., Paper presented at the 8th EAAE PhD student workshop, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala,Sweden, June 10-12, 2019., Authors analyzed household behavior in adoption of chickpea as an improved crop, as well as the crop's impact at farm level and grower experiences with it.
Pronti, A. (author), Auci, S. (author), Di Paoli, A. (author), and Mazzanti, M. (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
Italy
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11325
Notes:
12 pages., Online via AgEconSearch. Paper presented at the 8th Associazione Italiana di Economia Agraria e Applicata (AIEAA) conference, Pistoia, Italy, June 13-14, 2019., Analysis of principal determinants of Italian farmers' adoption of sustainable irrigation technologies, considering social, economic, productive, geographical, and climatic aspects.
Online via AgEconSearch., Authors evaluated the impact of varietal awareness and nutrition knowledge on their adoption of biofortified crop varieties. Findings suggested that farmers who had knowledge of the nutritional attributes of a specific variety of beans were more likely to adopt them.
Scopus via University of Illinois online catalog - article subject search. 1 page., This study examined the impacts of farming demonstration events on participants. Findings identified five factors important for the success of demonstration events.
Vincent, David (author / Rooster Strategic Solutions)
Format:
Commentary
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: D11355
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly posting of October 16, 2019. 2 pages., Seven tips for new college of graduates (mostly without farm backgrounds) as they join the ranks of agricultural advertising agencies and agribusinesses and begin working with American farmers and ranchers.
23 pages., Authors used a baseline survey, an intervention, and an end line survey to assess farmers' knowledge of farming practices, knowledge level, and relationship between information source and knowledge gain. Interventions were provided by radio broadcasts and audio CDs. Findings suggested that '...audio media remains a vital source of information for resource-poor farmers and can greatly enhance their agricultural knowledge when audio media is used as an intervention."
4 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Documents (DOAJ)., In interviews, "...a group of 'conservation-minded' Illinois farmers revealed that while they are not necessarily familiar with the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), they are concerned with nutrient loss and are taking steps to address those concerns." However, authors observed that added efforts may be required to encourage adoption of the best management practices recommended by the strategy. The study also identified information sources farmers trust in making such decisions.
8 pages., Online via UI electronic subscription., Researchers measured farmer demand for a new agricultural technology , a triple-layered hermetic storage bag which reduces storage loss from insect pests and neutralizes aflatoxin contamination in grain. Findings revealed a highly elastic demand that that the wholesaler could increase profit by lowering the price. Farmers who had prior awareness of the bag were willing to pay 20% more on average than those previously unaware of it. Farmers' valuation of the bags was not significantly different based on the medium (text, audio, or video) through which they received the information.
6 pages., via online journal., Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is commonly applied to analyse contributions of determinant variables on the adoption of communications technology. However, identifying external variables that affect technology adoption need to explore. This research is aimed to identify the role of education variable in the technology adoption. The study was conducted by survey design. One hundred respondents were determined by judgmental sampling method with criterion that respondents are owners or manager of small medium enterprises that use livestock-based product such as meat, eggs and milk in Bantul Regency, Special Province of Yogyakarta. The research showed that Perceived Ease of Use affected Perceived Usefulness (p≤0.001), and both of those variables were critical factors for Attitude Toward Social Media Use (p≤0.001). The study revealed that Intention to Adopt Social Media is affected by Attitude Toward Social Media Use and Perceived Usefulness (p≤0.001). Then, the test found that education moderates relationships between Attitude Toward Social Media Use and more influential users on those with lower education backgrounds (p≤0.05). Even so, education did not moderate relationships between Perceived Usefulness and Intention to Adopt Social Media. In short, the proposed model was able slightly higher in explaining compare to the original TAM.
8 pages., via online journal., ow internet usage by extension agent, impact on the inhibition of the flow of information to the farmers and lead to the income received by farmers. In the digital era today, if the extension agent is not encouraged to use the internet then they will be left behind and will be left out by the farmers. This study aimed to (1) analyze the internet availability in Lampung Province (2) to analyze the level of internet usage for extension agent in Lampung and (3) to analyze factors influencing internet usage of extension agent. This research was conducted in Lampung Province with analysis unit of extension agent in the office of BP3K (Extension Agency of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry) which has been facilitated by computer and internet network. Respondents consisted of 355 extension agent served in BP3K. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used to determine the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The availability of facilities and internet network in Extension Offices is not sufficient even extension agent used their private facilities. The Internet network had reached the remote areas very well in spreading and transmitting information. Almost all extension agent have internet-connected devices and internet-based applications. Extension agents facilitated by computer and internet network communicating using social media, however capabilities in using the internet to search information related agricultural technology remained low. The use of the internet by extension agent was influenced by the nature of internet innovation, the number of Internet-based applications and the amount of existed hardware.
5 pages., 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.
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 from publisher website., By embracing modern technology and engaging enthusiastic young people, the work of an NGO in Malawi is extending the reach of agricultural extension across the country.
3 pages., Online from publisher website., Following a training course in technology stewardship, actors in the Caribbean's agri-food sector are implementing ICT approaches to provide agricultural advice and support to their local communities
