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project manager indicated that the CCAA project had ultimately faced inadequate funding to sustain its service provision. The project aspired to cater for other villages in the districts to ensure farmers scaled up new acquired farming best practices.
5.4.6 The Objective of Information Disseminated through Extension
The study investigated the major goals of information packaged and disseminated through extension in improving agriculture (see questions a7 in Appendix 4). According to in-depth interviews with the two agricultural extension officers, there are a number of goals of information disseminated through extension. The extension officers stated:
E1: “Our first role is to enable farmers’ to access and use new innovations by disseminating our knowledge to them”.
E2: “We as extension officers also enable farmers to increase agricultural produce by applying new methods effectively and efficiently and get surplus”.
E3: “Our job is broad and don’t only ensure farmers apply best practices, but goes beyond by enhancing their access to market”.
E4: “Ultimate goal of our extension services is to improve farmers’ livelihood”.
5.5 Types of Information on Climate Change and Variability Disseminated to
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Farmers were asked to explain the type of information on climate change disseminated to them (cf. questions g49 and g50 in Appendices 1 and 2). Results shows that farmers received information on planting time, use of improved seed varieties, drought-resistant seeds, early- warning information, rainfall patterns, food preservation, fertilizer usage and types of crops to grow in a season. Findings from the in-depth interview with the agricultural extension officers were that information that was disseminated to farmers included the effect of drought on agriculture, access to, and use of, improved seeds, access to markets and early warning measures on floods, and the effects envisaged. Other information disseminated to farmers included awareness on availability and access to seeds, pesticides usage, fertilizer application and new farm implements and their appropriate usage.
The findings revealed that, in Chibelela and Maluga villages, a number of seed varieties were newly introduced to farmers. The seed varieties introduced aimed at improving yields in drought areas. In Chibelela village, the seed varieties introduced also referred to as Open Pollinated Seed Varieties, for sorghum included Pato, Wahi, Mesia and Mpya. Maize varieties included Tanzania Maize Variety 1 (TMV1), Staha and Situka. The sunflower varieties were Pana and Rekodi.
In Maluga village, sorghum varieties that were introduced included Masia, Karimtama, Pato, Gadam, Ukombozi, Wahi, Hakika, Seredo and Tegemeo. Improved varieties for finger millet were referred to as P224 and U15 (a new line that has been introduced to farmers but not officially released, hence no name assigned as yet). The improved maize varieties that were introduced in Maluga village included Kilima, Sitoka, Sidiko and Staha while the sunflower varieties were Rekodi, Pana and Kenyafedha. Farmers’ exposure to innovations is essential in adoption, as most of the time users are not aware of the existing information and associated benefits (Rogers 2003). Farmers’ decisions to use the new varieties of their choice were based on their perception towards relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, observability and complexity (Rogers 2003).
5.5.1 Types of Information Disseminated Versus Farmers’ Information Needs
Farmers were requested to state the type of information on climate change and variability they needed to fulfil their agricultural needs. The findings indicate that farmers mostly needed information on timely access to seasonal rainfall, new seed varieties, proper use of fertilizer, both organic and inorganic, crop diseases, proper use of pesticides and types of
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crops to grow in a particular season. Unlike other information services being disseminated to farmers, the study noted that, despite their critical role in coping and adapting to climate change and variability, only a few farmers mentioned the quest for information on soil characteristics, irrigation farming, pesticides and grain preservation. These findings agree with those of Kadi, Njau, Mwikya and Kamga (2011), who observed the importance of assessing farmers’ needs for quicker adoption of innovations in East Africa.
5.5.2 Challenges Farmers’ Challenges in Accessing and Using Information
Notwithstanding the fact that information disseminated to farmers to a greater extent met farmers’ information needs, the study found that farmers were experiencing difficulties in accessing information. The study also found farmers had problems in purchasing agricultural inputs such as new seed varieties and pesticides from service providers. These findings confirm those by Rogers (2003:204-205) which emphasised that access to communication sources and channels was crucial in ensuring that an innovation is used. Farmers indicated that agricultural stockists have sometimes failed to describe proper use and application of seed varieties, pesticides and farm implements to farmers. Their comments include:
F1: “Most of the time you find farmers go to shops selling agricultural inputs but experience the problem of buying undesirable seed varieties and expired pesticides for their farms. This discourages us so much....”
F2: “… stockists failure to provide us with adequate information on how to use pesticides, fertilizers have forced us to rely mostly on information from experienced farmers or accidentally if one happen to find an expert.”
The in-depth interviews conducted separately with agricultural extension officers indicate that, upon receiving information, farmers made their own decisions to adopt a seed variety of their choice (cf. questions c17 in Appendix 3). It was revealed that a situation where an extension officer recommends one a variety of seeds to farmers and that farmer makes a decision without being influenced is known as participatory variety selection (PVS). These findings concur with the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) model, which stresses that, in order to ensure an adoption, change agents should inquire about users’ needs and make sure they are compatible with the programme’s goals (Rogers 2003:375). The choice to adopt a variety of their choice is influenced by the farmers’ experience in using the variety and the benefits associated with an applied variety. In addition, the current study found that the extension
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officers and researchers influence farmers decision making process upon being introduced to an innovation, on whether to adopt its usage or not.