ROLE OF RADIO AND MOBILE PHONE IN DISSEMINATING AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION TO CROP FARMERS IN CENTRAL ZONE OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the roles of radio and mobile phones in disseminating agricultural information to crop farmers in Central Zone of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting 180 farmers from the study area. Primary data were obtained through administration of structured questionnaires from the respondents. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result reveals that majority (78.9%, 77.2% and 73.3%) of the respondents were male, hausa and married, while 47.2% and 45% of the respondents were into farming and had attained tertiary level of education in the study area. The result further shows that most of the respondents were within their active ages of production as indicated by the mean age of 41.5 years and 10 years of farming experience. The result also shows that respondents had a mean of 5 persons per households and 2.8ha of land. The result further reveals that majority (96.7%, 88.3%, 74.4% and 71.1%) of the respondents owned a mobile phone, radio, listens to local stations and owns a smart phone. The result also shows that majority (84.4% and 62.2%) of the respondents purchased phones and subscribed to MTN network. The result also shows that the major information accessed by the respondents were on conservation practices, pest/disease outbreak and livestock management and were ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. The factors influencing the use of radio and mobile phones were years of experience, household size and number of technologies adopted significant (P<0.05 and P<0.001), respectively. The result also shows that the major challenges faced by the respondents in accessing information from radio and mobile phones were occasional presentation of agricultural program, digital skills and lack of awareness which were ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. The study concluded that years of farming experience, household size and technologies adopted were the factors influencing the use of Radio and Mobile phones in the study area. the research recommended that, Agricultural programs should be constantly presented among local and international radio stations in the study area, farmers should form cooperatives and create and avenue for training on the use of digital technologies.