Farmers’ perceptions towards use of radio as a medium for accesssing agricultural information in Adwari sub-county, Otuke district.

Abstract

Radio is the most widely used medium for disseminating information to rural audiences across Africa, with farm radio programs emerging as important drivers of change among farmers. This study was carried out to examine the perceptions and radio usage dynamics among farmers in Adwari sub-county, Otuke district. A cross-section survey was conducted in which 100 farmers were interviewed. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data. Study findings revealed farmers are aware of the presence of agricultural information across different radio stations, and they actually listen to these programs and agree that they derive significant benefits as a result. While farmers generally had positive perceptions about the use of radio, there were specific needs and challenges such as signal instability, inconvenient program scheduling and limited interactivity of radio programs that need to be addressed. Based on the findings, the study recommends the need for radio stations to conduct needs assessments to guide tailoring of their programs to farmers' specific needs. This could be combined with, organizing practical field days to enhance practical skills, improving interactivity, and addressing infrastructural challenges like electricity access and radio signal strength for more effective agricultural communication and information flow.