Bridging communications gaps between scientists and farmers

Adewale A. Adekunle, Terry A. Olowu and Ademola A. Ladele. Bridging the Communication Gap between Scientists and Farmers in Katsina State of Nigeria: A review of the activities of the Information and Communication Support for Agricultural Growth in Nigeria (ICS-Nigeria) Project in Katsina State of Nigeria. Ibadan: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), 2005. 26p. Online: IITA. Abstract The need to enhance information flow to farmers led to the inception of the Information and Communication Support for Agricultural Growth in Nigeria Project (ICS-Nigeria). The hope is that access to information will trigger an increase in farmers’ use of agricultural technologies, which in turn will increase their productive capacity. ICS-Nigeria has financial support from USAID and focuses on six states in Nigeria (Abia, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Niger, and Oyo). ICS-Nigeria has been operational in these six states. In Katsina State specifically, it has collaborated with the Katsina State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA) and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in targeting some model communities with its activities for two years. This study was undertaken to evaluate its impact on farmers of these model communities. The specific objectives are to: 1. Determine the knowledge of improved farm practices of selected crops among participant and non-participant farmers of the model villages 2. Investigate participant and non-participant farmers’ use of improved practices of selected crops 3. Ascertain the health status of participant and non-participant farmers 4. Determine the social participation of participant and non-participant farmers 5. Ascertain participant and non-participant farmers’ income To meet these specific objectives, 90 participant farmers from 3 model villages were selected. Also, 90 non-participant farmers from 3 non-model villages were selected. Structured questionnaires were administered on the farmers to obtain data on their personal characteristics, farm practices and sources of information, knowledge and utilization of improved farm practices of six crops—maize, millet, sorghum, cowpeas, cotton, and groundnut. Frequencies and t-test were used to analyze the results. The results indicate that participant farmers are signifi cantly different from the nonparticipant farmers in their knowledge of improved farm practices and adoption of the practices. Participant farmers also had signifi cantly higher income than non-participant farmers. The participant farmers have higher social participation and lower number of days of absence from the fi eld due to illness than their non-participant counterparts but these differences were not signifi cant. To this extent, ICS-Nigeria has enhanced the flow of information to farmers leading to higher adoption of improved farm practices and higher income. Reproduced from the paper. Download the paper here.

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