Accessibility and utilization of agricultural information among women farmers: the case of Korogwe District, Tanzania
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Date
2010
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Abstract
This study was conducted in Korogwe district involving 100 women farmers
randomly selected from four villages. Household data was collected using a
structured questionnaire, and supplemented by interviews for key informants and
Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
software was used to analyse the data. The findings showed that education, age,
extension services, and mass media determine the access and utilization of
agricultural information. Furthermore, low production was due to lack of extension
services, low education of the respondents, inability to access credit and
unawareness of sources of information. Moreover, sources of agricultural
information such as extension services, mass media, and farmers' own efforts have a
direct linkage with the accessibility to agricultural information. The study
recommends that efforts to increase farmers' access to agricultural information
should be improved. There is a need of improving extension services so as to reach
and benefit women farmers. Vugiri ward is located in the highlands that are
vulnerable to soil erosion which contributed to poor crop production, hence efforts
should be made to introduce soil management practices so as to arrest the situation
and increase crop production.
Description
Tanzanian Journal of Population Studies and Development, 2010; 17(1& 2): 97-114
Keywords
Women farmers, Agricultural information, Information accessibility, Information utilisation