FARMER’S PERCEPTION OF INFORMATION DISSEMINATION METHODS USED BY

COMMUNITY INFORMATION WORKERS IN KIAMBU COUNTY

Lumiti TrotskyA26/0958/2011

Management of Agro-ecosystem and environment

INTRODUCTION• Many institutions in Kenya

carry out extensive research in the fields of agriculture.

• The innovation can reach the farmers faster, whereby farmers too, can inform the researchers of their problems mainly through extension process.

• However, various factors have slowed the transfer of information from the researchers to the farmers.

Problem statement• Extension services have failed

in performing its role efficiently and effectively (FAO 1999).

• Despite the huge investments in agriculture through research and extension, access and efficacy of agricultural extension services in Kenya is still wanting.

Justification of the study• Kenyan economy remains highly

dependent on agriculture as a source both of employment and of foreign exchange (Kanyinga, 2013).

• In order to shift from “business as usual” to “business unusual”, agric scenarios and transform agric, there is need to integrate new scientific agric information into production practices.

• This calls for an understanding of best methodologies to reach farmers with this information/skills

Research objectivesBroad objectives

To assess the perception of farmers to different methods used by CIWs to disseminate agricultural information.

Specific objectives

- to identify agric extension methods used by CIWs and assess their preference amongst farmers

- To identify alternative extension services used by agricultural farmers in Kiambu County

- to identify challenges and suggest recommendations for improvement of agric extension services in Kiambu County

Materials and methodsKabete

Juja

Karura

kikuyu

Ruiru

10

1010

1010

N=50

• The level of education can be linked to the age of farmer where by most farmers- 70%- were above 40 years of age.

• 40% of the respondents were between 30-40 years of age while 30% of them being between 40-50 years of age.

• There was no respondent who was below 20 years of age.

Results and discussions cont.…• Most farmers had only

basic level of education whereby 80% had not gone past secondary level of education.

• Only 20% have had higher levels of education.

Results and discussion cont.…• It was observed that only 30% of

the farmers had access to community information workers also known as extension officers.

• 70% of the respondents didn’t access/know an extension officer hence did not receive extension services from extension officers.

• Using likert statistic tool of measuring farmer’s preference and satisfaction, it was found out that most farmers preferred farm visit and farmer’s training.

• Most farmers didn’t prefer the use of office calls

• The likert tool, using colour scale, marks green for the most preferred method and red for the least preferred. White cells are neutral.

Table showing the method most preferred extension method (1= least preferred 3=most preferred,)

Farmers training

Farm visits

Demo plots shows

Field day

Open discussion

Office calls

2.5 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.1 1.5

Results and discussion cont.…

• With most farmers having little or no access to extension or community information workers, they find alternative methods of obtaining information.

• A method used widely is farmer to farmer (40%) where farmers get information by observing and learning what other farmers are doing.

• Very few used internet (10%) to search for information.

Discussion• From the results obtained, it was

realized that most of the small scale farmers were aged, with most of them (70%) being over 40 years of age.

• Besides the age factor, most of this farmers have little or no access to community information workers. (1CIW:1000 farmers)

• This limits the transmission of scientific knowledge from researchers to the small scale farmers. However, the research recognized that the small scale farmers have their own methods of searching for beneficial agricultural information.

Discussion• Despite the poor access to extension services by the

farmers, it was realized that most of the farmers preferred farm visits and farmers training as a method of information dissemination.

• Office calls had little preference by the farmers who found it expensive. This was done by the use of likert scale.

• The poor access to information workers and extension officers can be attributed to the low number of extension officers available.

Discussion• extension officers trained in

our higher academic institution are forced to find alternative jobs due to high rate of unemployment.

• Most of the extension students who graduate from public universities are registered by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to become high school teachers.  

Conclusion and recommendationVery few farmers know an extension officers or community information workers.

•More youths should get involved in agriculture•Change in agricultural policy such as demand driven extension.•Agricultural extension students should give extension services.Young farmer