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    3. Analysis of Village Extension Agents' Access and Use of Information and Communication Technology in Delivery of Extension Services in the Central Agricultural Zone of Plateau State, Nigeria

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Vihi, S.K. (author), Tor, L.G. (author), Jesse, B. (author), Dalla, AA.. (author), Onuwa, G.C. (author), and Haroun, M. (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2021-10-21
    Published:
    Russia: iVolga Press
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12427
    Journal Title:
    Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences
    Journal Title Details:
    Vol.118(10
    Notes:
    11 pages, This study examined village extension agent’s access and use of information and communication technology in extension services delivery to farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of all the village extension agents (VEAs) of the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) in the central agricultural zone of the state. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaires and interview techniques and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study shows that majority (77%) of the sampled village extension agents (VEAs) were males with a mean age of 43 years, Majority (87%) of the respondents were married with a mean household size of 4 persons. The study also showed that majority (80%) of the VEAs had tertiary education with a mean working experience of 13 years and average monthly income of ₦64875. The result also shows that four (4) out of the seven (7) listed ICT facilities were adjudged the ICT facilities accessible to VEAs in the study area having had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ =2.50). They included; GSM (phone) (x̅ =3.94), radio (x̅ = 2.83), television (x̅ = 2.73) and computer (x̅ = 2.68). Based on 2.50 discriminating index, only two out of seven listed conventional ICT facilities had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ 2.50) and thus were adjudged the ICT facilities used by VEAs. The GSM (phone) had the highest mean value of 3.62 followed by radio with mean value of 2.54. The logit regression result shows that coefficients of years of working experience and monthly income were significant and positively related to ICT use, while age and complexity in use of ICT were significant and negatively related to ICT use. Major constraints to use of ICT by VEAs includes; lack of administrative support in provision of ICT (87%), lack of in-service training on ICT use (66%), Poor salary/remuneration (64%), lack of awareness of ICT importance in extension (56%) among others. The study recommends intervention, serious synergy, and proactive response on the part of the government, non-governmental organization,s and extension organizations in ICT provision and training of VEAs on ICT use as well as stepping up campaigns on the importance of ICT use in agricultural extension delivery.

    4. Building Africa’s first “e-Extension Platform” for smallholder farmers

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Gap Report Initiative (author)
    Format:
    Blog posting
    Publication Date:
    2021-02-24
    Published:
    United States: Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12519
    Notes:
    4 pages., Sasakawa Africa Association shares their approach to strengthening the resilience of food systems in Africa through innovative approaches using information and communication technologies. he Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) was established in 1986 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, the first chairman of the Nippon Foundation; Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and father of the Green Revolution; and former US President, Jimmy Carter; in response to the famine in the Horn of Africa in the 1980s. Since then, SAA has strengthened agricultural extension services in 16 countries in Africa. Currently, we have offices in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda, where we focus on field activities and human resource development at universities and other educational institutions. We also implement human resource development projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.

    5. Chapter 8 - Digital extension service: a quick way to deliver agricultural information to the farmers

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Naika, Mahantesha B.N. (author), Kudari, Manjunath (author), Sree Devi, Maguluri (author), Sadhu, DhanushSwaroop (author), and Sunagar, Suma (author)
    Format:
    Book chapter
    Publication Date:
    2021-01-20
    Published:
    Academic Press Ltd. (Elsevier Science Ltd.)
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12483
    Notes:
    Book Chapter, 37 pages in "Food Technology Disruptions" ISBN: 9780128214701, Globally, various digital platforms are efficiently explored to provide information in various sectors. In many developing countries, the majority of the main population occupation is agriculture. Traditional extension services are limited by lack of extension personnel, expertise, up-to-date information regarding market access, timeliness, information storage. Therefore, digitalization can be critical in overcoming such limitations through the utilization of various information and communication technology (ICT) tools; Decision support systems, databases, Agri-based Apps, KIOSK. These advanced approaches will not only support the extension and farming communities but also improve their skills and uplift them in contributing to an increased national GDP. This chapter covers various digital tools and their efficiency with a supporting case study on utilization and impact of digital extension services (DES) on farmer’s knowledge in terms of agricultural practices in selected villages of Belagavi district, Karnataka, India. In conclusion, digital extension services play a vital role in the dissemination of updated information for improving agricultural supply chain management.

    6. Communication in a pandemic: Concerns of agricultural and natural resources opinion leaders during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Baker, Lauri (author), Chiarelli, Christy (author), Rampold, Shelli (author), McLeod-Morin, Ashley (author), and Lindsey Angela (author)
    Format:
    Journal aricle
    Publication Date:
    2021-10-28
    Published:
    United States: OJS / PKP
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12501
    Journal Title:
    Advancements in Agricultural Development
    Journal Title Details:
    2 (3)
    Notes:
    11 pages, During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-April 2020), opinion leaders in agriculture and natural resources (ANR) were asked to participate in a survey about the impacts of the crisis on the ANR industry specifically about their concerns related to communication, economics, level of preparedness, and health during this crisis. Of the 225 ANR leaders who participated, the majority were concerned that members of the public were sharing inaccurate information about COVID-19; others they come into contact with were not taking appropriate measures to avoid contracting COVID-19; about the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. economy, their state’s economy, and the global economy; and other countries’ level of preparedness to deal with COVID-19. ANR leaders were consistently the most concerned about items that were outside of their direct sphere of influence. Implications from this work are that ANR leadership programs should incorporate programing to help ANR leaders understand how to be influential during a crisis at a national and international level. For statewide ANR leadership programs, it is recommended to include programming sessions related to identifying and sharing credible information and enabling and inspiring those in their circle of influence to do the same.

    7. Empowerment of Stakeholders for Scaling-Up: Digital Technologies for Agricultural Extension

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Bhattacharyya, Tapas (author), Wani, Suhas (author), and Tiwary, P. (author)
    Format:
    Book chapter
    Publication Date:
    2021-11-18
    Published:
    International: Springer Link
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12482
    Journal Title:
    Scaling-up Solutions for Farmers
    Notes:
    Pages 121-147 in Scaling-up Solutions for Farmers., In most of the developing countries in Asia and Africa large yield gaps are existing between the current farmers’ yields and potential achievable yields. The necessity of meeting the farmers’ requirement to scale up research results is paramount for adequate food production. This requires empowerment of farmers by answering queries of farmers appropriately through different extension channels including state and central machineries. These are the backbone of the agricultural technology development to empower farmers as the major stakeholders and hence requires attention. Lack of awareness among farmers about good agricultural management practices compel them to follow the traditional practices. All agricultural education and research, ultimately aims at increased productivity and economic well-being of farmers. This is possible only when there is a minimum gap between laboratories and land. This gap is bridged by agricultural extension. But human capacity, the content of the information, processes of delivery and technology determine effectiveness of extension services. Non-availability of sufficient extension personnel is a major constraint. To overcome these shortcomings, e-Extension (eE) is the alternative. It is important to rejuvenate the agricultural extension system (AES) with innovative information communication technology (ICT) models for knowledge generation and dissemination. Latest digital technologies are discussed in this chapter on ICT to empower farmers to scale up for reaching the required target of food production with special reference to Indian scenario. There is an urgent need to transform neglected knowledge delivery systems by strengthening the science of delivery which has been neglected by the researchers/development worker/policy makers alike. Availability of new technologies such as information technology (IT), internet of things (IoT), audio and video using cell phones, geographical information system (GIS), simulation modelling, remote sensing (RS) open up new vistas for effective knowledge delivery for achieving the impacts on ground. This will help to cross the “Death Valley of Impacts” for achieving the zero hunger goal by adopting innovative approaches/tools and partnerships.

    8. Information and Communication Technology Use Capacity Within Extension Networks: Development and Preliminary Validation of an Empirical Scale

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Lamm, Kevan (author), Davis, Kristin (author), Sanders, Catherine (author), and Powell, Alyssa (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2021-08-31
    Published:
    United States: New Prairie Press
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12496
    Journal Title:
    Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education
    Journal Title Details:
    28 (4)
    Notes:
    19 pages., Advancing information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become central to international agricultural and extension development efforts. ICTs are crucial in facilitating information transfer, ensuring stakeholder access to information, and increasing the decision-making capacity of smallholder farmers. The research presented here introduces an instrument developed to quantify perceptions of ICT use capacity within international extension networks. The aggregate scale was verified for content validity, response process validity, internal structure validity, and consequential validity informing its use. The instrument was administered to network members (n = 122) associated with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with measures of correlation and reliability analyzed. Six factors were extracted and analyzed further. The resulting Perceptions of ICT Use scale and factors can be used as reliable instruments for quantifying perceptions of ICT use capacity, enhancing international extension network needs assessments, and informing policies and practices which maximize ICT capacity.

    9. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Spielman, David J. (author), Lecoutere, Els (author), Makhija, V.K. (author), and Van Campenhout, Bjorn (author)
    Format:
    journal article
    Publication Date:
    2021-06-02
    Published:
    United States: Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, CA
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12536
    Journal Title:
    Annual Review of Resource Economics
    Journal Title Details:
    Vol 13
    Notes:
    27 pages, With new possibilities offered by information and communications technology (ICT), an abundance of products, services, and projects has emerged with the promise of revitalizing agricultural extension in developing countries. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that not all ICT-enabled extension approaches are equally effective in improving adoption, productivity, income, or welfare outcomes. In this review, we explore various conceptual and methodological threads in the literature on ICT-enabled extension in developing countries. We examine the role of multiple impact pathways, highlighting how ICTs influence behaviors and preferences,gender and intrahousehold dynamics, spillovers, and public worker incentives. We also explore the opportunities presented by ICT-enabled extension for increasing the methodological rigor with which extension outcomes are identified. These conceptual and methodological insights—coupled with empirical evidence from prior studies—offer direction for several lines of policy-relevant research on ICT-enabled extension.