The influence of agricultural misinformation on smallholder farmers’ crop production in Mvomero District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania
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Date
2024-05
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
In the context of agriculture development access to reliable
agricultural information to farmers is highly vital. Research evidence
has indicated that agricultural misinformation on crop production
exists among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. This study was
conducted in Mvomero District because it is one of the areas in
Morogoro Region where smallholder farmers lack knowledge on how
to access reliable agricultural information through proper sources.
The study examined the effect of agricultural misinformation on crop
production among smallholder farmers. Specifically, the study
identified sources of agricultural information, the level of knowledge
among smallholder farmers about agricultural misinformation, and
the effects of agricultural misinformation on crop production for
smallholder farmers. A cross-sectional research design was used.
Data collection was done using both qualitative and quantitative
research methods involving key informants' interviews and survey
questionnaires. Descriptive statistical analysis was computed to
establish measures of central tendencies. An index scale was
constructed to establish the farmer‟s level of knowledge and a binary
logistic regression model was developed to establish the predictors
of farmers‟ level of knowledge and to estimate the effects of
agricultural misinformation on crop production. Qualitative data were
analyzed using content analysis with a constant comparison
technique. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents
(74%) had access to agricultural information through farmer-farmer
information flow. The extension officers had no significant
contribution (p-value of 0.1430) to providing agricultural information.
The majority of respondents (96%) had a high level of knowledge of
agricultural misinformation but still, could not access well reliable
agricultural information. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test showed
that misinformation had a significant negative effect on crop
production (p = 0.000) and the seed varieties, fertilizer and
pesticides misinformation coefficient was statistically significant (P
<0.000). It is concluded that farmers‟ access to reliable sources of agricultural information, extension services, and local agricultural
experts contributes to increase smallholder farmers‟ crop production.
To mitigate the effects of agricultural misinformation farmers should
be encouraged to consult agricultural experts to access and use
reliable information. The local government and development actors
should intensify farmers‟ training through capacity-building programs
to improve smallholder farmers‟ knowledge to help increase the
adoption of recommended agricultural practices. There is a need to
establish farmers‟ resource centres for the effective dissemination of
important information through community workshops, mobile apps,
and radio programs to reach farmers in remote areas. Local
government organizations and development partners should
increase efforts to minimize the spread of misinformation to
smallholder farmers.
Description
Master of Arts Degree in Project Management and Evaluation
Keywords
Agricultural misinformation, Smallholder Farmers’, Crop Production, Mvomero District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania