Farmers’ Access to Information on Improved Wheat Technology Package: The Case of Digalu Tijo of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia (Published)
Wheat is one of the most important staple crops of the country in terms of production and consumption. The study was conducted to investigate farmers’ access to information on improved wheat technology package of Digalu Tijo of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The study went further to examine the level of information dissemination for farmers and the benefits information users gain. Focus group discussion guide, interview checklist and observation checklist were employed to gather information required. The collected data analyzed using descriptive analysis. A large number 91.7% of the respondents were those who can read and write. The finding of the study indicated that men have more access to extension education programs than women. Similarly, the primary sources of information for respondents were development agents (70%). The study finding revealed that respondents benefited more from the adoption of improved wheat technology. Further and regular study need to undertaken so that farmers’ information and technology needs can be identified in order to provide improved and up dated information and technology for overall improvement of livelihood of farming community the study areas.
Citation: Gudeta A. (2022) Farmers’ Access to Information on Improved Wheat Technology Package: The Case of Digalu Tijo of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia, International Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Studies, Vol.9, No.4, pp.14-19
Keywords: Access, Ethiopia, Information, improved wheat
Factors Influencing Radio Adoption Decision of Rice Farmers in the Dissemination of Agricultural Information in Zamfara State (Published)
This study examine the factors influencing radio adoption decision of rice farmers in the dissemination of agricultural information in Zamfara state. The research study applied agenda setting theory to show how selection of topics and packaging of agricultural content impact on rice farmer’s uptake of agricultural information. The research use a structured questionnaire to collect data for the study. A multi-stage, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select a sample of 350 farm respondents. The data collected were analyzed using a descriptive statistics such frequency and percentage and logit regression analysis to estimate factors influencing radio adoption decision in knowledge sharing. The estimate shows that, age, farming experience, access to agricultural information via radio, association membership and gender are significant at 5%, 1% and 10% respectively. It is therefore recommended that, more radio stations should be develop and should also partner with agriculture institutions to overcome challenges that both side experience
Keywords: Adoption, Agriculture, Decision, Factors, Information, Radio, Rice Farmers, dissemination, influencing
Impact of Social Media on Agricultural Extension in Kenya: A Case of Kesses District (Published)
The introduction of social media and web 2.0 applications has opened up a platform that agricultural extension officer’s, farmers, agricultural institutions and non-governmental institutions utilize to disseminate and exchange agricultural information. The objective of the study was to assess the use of social media as a source of agricultural information with reference to farmers in Kesses District. The study adopted a descriptive survey and the major data collection tools were interviews from farmers who use social media platforms. The study purposively sampled farmers in Kesses District and data was analyzed both descriptively. From the analysis, it is evident that there is immense need for agricultural information among farmers in Kesses District. The study reveals that farmers in Kesses District have diverse source of agricultural information for example the internet, social media and extension services. Majority of farmers approach the use of social media in agricultural information seeking with a positive attitude, pointing to the assumption that social media is largely beneficial and convenient as a source of agricultural information. Among the most common challenges faced include poor network access, power outages, and costly charges when accessing the internet. This study recommends that information centers can be established in Kesses District whereby farmers can obtain agricultural information online and that social media should be fully utilized to provide; feedback, complement extension programs, access local and international markets and complement communication campaigns whose goal is to bring about agricultural development.
Keywords: Agriculture, Farmer, Information, Kenya, Social media, extension