Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana
Abstract Background A significant gap exists between advances in technologies in agriculture and what Ghanaian farmers practice on their farms. This paper examines rice farmers’ information seeking behaviour and the determinants of information utilization at Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti regi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Agriculture & Food Security |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40066-017-0114-8 |
| _version_ | 1818115171901505536 |
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| author | Lawrencia Donkor Acheampong Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong Alexander Adu-Appiah Bright Owusu Asante Maxwell Darko Asante |
| author_facet | Lawrencia Donkor Acheampong Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong Alexander Adu-Appiah Bright Owusu Asante Maxwell Darko Asante |
| author_sort | Lawrencia Donkor Acheampong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background A significant gap exists between advances in technologies in agriculture and what Ghanaian farmers practice on their farms. This paper examines rice farmers’ information seeking behaviour and the determinants of information utilization at Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti region of Ghana. Methods Using a two-stage sampling technique, a total of 109 rice farmers were selected for the study. The probit model was used to examine information seeking behaviour and the determinants of information utilization. Results The results showed that most of the respondents were literate and relied on interpersonal information sources. The major type of information received was on agronomic practices, and majority of the respondents utilized the information received. Respondents’ information seeking behaviour and utilization was found to be high which implied rice farmers are willing to utilize information received to improve their productivity and incomes. The results further signify that to enhance the use of information among farmers for relevant production activities such as fertilizer application, pesticide application, disease and weed control will require investments in extension services, increasing farmers’ access to education, targeting farmers with larger farm sizes, and higher rice yields. These factors have the potential to enhance information seeking and utilization for enhanced rice productivity in Ghana. Majority of the respondents are willing to pay for their preferred information needs. The constraints limiting rice farmers’ information seeking behaviour and utilization were the inadequate extension agents and lack of agricultural information services in the communities. Conclusion It is recommended that the Government improve access to extension services by employing more extension workers to provide the necessary training support to farmers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:02:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a9fdd87823a46fdb81824520987c1ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2048-7010 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:02:23Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture & Food Security |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a9fdd87823a46fdb81824520987c1ab2022-12-22T01:21:36ZengBMCAgriculture & Food Security2048-70102017-08-01611910.1186/s40066-017-0114-8Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of GhanaLawrencia Donkor Acheampong0Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong1Alexander Adu-Appiah2Bright Owusu Asante3Maxwell Darko Asante4CSIR- Crops Research InstituteCSIR- Crops Research InstituteCSIR- Crops Research InstituteCSIR- Crops Research InstituteCSIR- Crops Research InstituteAbstract Background A significant gap exists between advances in technologies in agriculture and what Ghanaian farmers practice on their farms. This paper examines rice farmers’ information seeking behaviour and the determinants of information utilization at Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti region of Ghana. Methods Using a two-stage sampling technique, a total of 109 rice farmers were selected for the study. The probit model was used to examine information seeking behaviour and the determinants of information utilization. Results The results showed that most of the respondents were literate and relied on interpersonal information sources. The major type of information received was on agronomic practices, and majority of the respondents utilized the information received. Respondents’ information seeking behaviour and utilization was found to be high which implied rice farmers are willing to utilize information received to improve their productivity and incomes. The results further signify that to enhance the use of information among farmers for relevant production activities such as fertilizer application, pesticide application, disease and weed control will require investments in extension services, increasing farmers’ access to education, targeting farmers with larger farm sizes, and higher rice yields. These factors have the potential to enhance information seeking and utilization for enhanced rice productivity in Ghana. Majority of the respondents are willing to pay for their preferred information needs. The constraints limiting rice farmers’ information seeking behaviour and utilization were the inadequate extension agents and lack of agricultural information services in the communities. Conclusion It is recommended that the Government improve access to extension services by employing more extension workers to provide the necessary training support to farmers.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40066-017-0114-8Rice productionInformation seeking behaviourGhanaInformation sources |
| spellingShingle | Lawrencia Donkor Acheampong Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong Alexander Adu-Appiah Bright Owusu Asante Maxwell Darko Asante Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana Agriculture & Food Security Rice production Information seeking behaviour Ghana Information sources |
| title | Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana |
| title_full | Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana |
| title_short | Assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana |
| title_sort | assessing the information seeking behaviour and utilization of rice farmers in the ejisu juaben municipality of ashanti region of ghana |
| topic | Rice production Information seeking behaviour Ghana Information sources |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40066-017-0114-8 |
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