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Locally Generated Printed Materials in Agriculture: Experience from Uganda and Ghana. Education Research Paper. Report.

01 Jul 1999-
About: The article was published on 1999-07-01 and is currently open access. It has received 21 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Agricultural education.

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The case study of small-scale sugar cane growers in Kilombero District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania as mentioned in this paper revealed that the barriers to accessing agricultural information in the study area are associated with the lack of means and facilities by which information can be easily accessed.
Abstract: This paper aims at investigating the Barriers in Accessing Agricultural Information in Tanzania with a Gender Perspective: The Case Study of Small-Scale Sugar Cane Growers in Kilombero District. The study was carried out in three purposefully selected villages and five institutions in Kilombero District, Morogoro Region. The study used a sample size of 83 respondents. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. Data were collected by using documentary review, interviews through structured questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions and personal observations. Quantitative data were analysed by using SPSS and Microsoft Excel Spread Sheet, while qualitative data were analysed using content analysis procedure. The results of the study revealed that lack of access to the current, relevant and appropriate agricultural information in the rural areas has led to the stagnation of growth of sugar cane produced by small-scale growers. The study findings also revealed that the barriers to accessing agricultural information in the study area are associated with the lack of means and facilities by which information can be easily accessed. It is therefore recommended that means and facilities by which growers can access agricultural information are put in place, rural women empowerment and involvement in the decision-making process at all stages, and the provision of agricultural information to rural farmers should be gender sensitive.

64 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a study aimed at assessing rice farmers agricultural information needs and the constraints faced in sourcing for information was carried out, which revealed that about 73% of the respondents usually seek for information from extension agents and 37% preferred that information be packaged as audio cassette.
Abstract: The study aimed at assessing rice farmers agricultural information needs and the constraints faced in sourcing for information. Primary data were collected through field survey from 5 out of 8 Local Government Areas (LGA) in Zone 1 of Niger State Agricultural development Programme (NSADP) where lowland rice is a major crop. From each of the LGAs, two villages were randomly selected and one farmers group were randomly selected per village. From a total of 234 farmers a total of 186 farmers were interviewed representing 80% of the population. Result of data analysis, revealed that about 73% of the respondents usually seek for information from extension agents. Majority (72.7%) of farmers seek for information from the extension agents and 37% preferred that information be packaged as audio cassette. Major constraints include lack of funds to acquire information (54.3%) and language barrier (50.5%). The result of the study also indicates a significant relationship between information type and preferred information package ( X2 = 27.96; p < 0.05), readiness to pay for information package (X2 =67.45;p < 05 ) and constraint ((X2 =33.28;p < 05). No significant relationship between information type and, age (X2 =0.001;p < 05 ) , educational level (X2 =1.59;p < 05 ), sex (X2 =1.31;p < 05 ) and ownership of telephone (X2 =0.48;p < 05 ). The data generated will assist in the implementation of the Nigerian Question and Answer Service (NAQAS) under the auspices of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation in providing information in all aspects of agriculture on demand to farmers.

36 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
19 Jan 2005-Libri
TL;DR: In this paper, four resource-poor farmer groups in KwaZulu-Natal participated in a study to explore how to meet their need for printed agricultural information materials (PAIMs) to promote small-scale commercial organic farming Participatory rural appraisal methods were used to determine how farmers access innovative agricultural information, their preferences for information channels, the effect of literacy and language on their use of printed information, and the provision of relevant printed information materials Participants evaluated five PAIMs.
Abstract: Four resource-poor farmer groups in KwaZulu-Natal participated in a study to explore how to meet their need for printed agricultural information materials (PAIMs) to promote small-scale commercial organic farming Participatory rural appraisal methods (focus groups, semi-structured questions, information tabulation, voting, ranking, sorting and observation) were used to determine how farmers access innovative agricultural information, their preferences for information channels, the effect of literacy and language on their use of printed information, and the provision of relevant printed information materials Participants evaluated five PAIMs The findings show that there is a critical need for appropriately repackaged PAIMs to reach farmers Intermediaries, on whom farmers rely for external (mostly oral) information, could expose farmers to alternative information channels and/or sources Materials written in the farmers’ first language, isiZulu, were preferred, while at least one functionally literate farmer was a member of each of the participating groups, thereby facilitating group literacy The study concludes that printed materials on their own are not sufficient to meet small-scale farmers' new information needs, and recommends a collaborative, action research approach to ensure that farmers are involved in developing their agricultural knowledge and information systems

33 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In South Africa, with its great educational and development needs and low adult literacy rate, pictures and illustrations are widely used in educational materials aimed at readers with minimal reading skills.
Abstract: The ability to understand (‘read’) pictures, is often taken for granted as an inherent human ability. In South Africa, with its great educational and development needs and low adult literacy rate, pictures and illustrations are widely used in educational materials aimed at readers with minimal reading skills, and rightly so. However this usage often seems to be based on the assumption that non-verbal visual images are a universal language that every sighted person can interpret. This is not always the case. Images on paper are essentially arrangements of lines and shapes on a flat surface - symbols which make up visual language representing objects in a threedimensional world. Reading pictures is a cognitive skill and to understand a picture correctly, the viewer must know certain conventions. However, arriving at a definition of visual literacy is problematic and there is a lack of unified theory on the interpretation of visuals by low-literate South African audiences, and therefore little strat...

26 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Dec 2000
TL;DR: In this paper, the diffusion of the Internet in Africa and its impact on its people, organisations and socio-economic activities is described, and a case study involving the application of web technologies in the agricultural sector is used as an example of the key role the Internet can play in respect to key socioeconomic activities in Africa.
Abstract: The article describes the diffusion of the Internet in Africa and its impact on its people, organisations and socio‐economic activities It shows which countries are leading the way and why, and more importantly the problems confronted by people in different countries A conceptual framework based on the work of Press, Daly and Menou is used to analyse the diffusion of Internet technologies in Africa A case study, involving the application of web technologies in the agricultural sector, is used as an example of the key role the Internet can play in respect to key socio‐economic activities in Africa The article concludes by looking at the future developments of the technology

15 citations