12 pages., Via online journal., Rural Resources Centers (RRCs) managed by community-based organisations, where farmers come together for training and demonstration, have been an innovative extension approach in Cameroon since 2006. This paper describes information flow in RRCs and farmers’ assessment of RRCs as information sources. All the RRCs in Cameroon were studied and 29 group interviews, involving 118 producers and 7 individual interviews with RRC managers, were performed. RRCs share information with several stakeholders including farmers, research institutions, and educational and religious institutions; and interpersonal channels are commonly used. Farmers and agricultural extension workers are the most important sources of information for RRCs. Farmers rank RRCs as their second best sources of information after fellow farmers. On average, each year, RRCs organise at least 40 training sessions for about 1777 participants. The themes are mainly agroforestry (29%), marketing (20%), group dynamics (20%) and post-harvest techniques (11%). The issue of funding the activities of the RRCs needs to be addressed, they need to be better structured, and their human resources increased and strengthened.
International: Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 146 Document Number: C23079
Notes:
ISBN: 81-204-0833-0, 213 pages., From the back: One of the basic management functions of a good extension system is to improve the quality of extension contact with clientele. To be able to do this extension and research workers and policy makers must understand the process of communication at the problem solving level and have the knowledge and ability to plan an effective communication strategy and be able to select and use appropriate technologies and methods.
The major focus of the book is on concept building and on explanations of procedures at the application level.
It has been specially prepared for students in agricultural colleges and universities pursuing courses in communication process, extension teaching methods and audio visual aids. Besides it will help a large number of extension workers in the field with a mandate to transfer technology in a planned and effective manner in the areas of agriculture, health, family planning, rural development, etc.
The book introduces several new concepts such as communication competence, communication effectiveness, communication intelligence and deals critically and exhaustively with the current theories of communication with a touch of the author’s global experience. It also introduces several innovative extension teaching methods such as agricultural clinics, flag method, peripatetic team visits, agricultural games, etc
