Abstract:
This study sets out to identify the source and
channels of communication used in the transmission of
agricultural information to settler farmers in the
Peki Settlement Farm. It further explores the extent
to which such sources and channels contribute to
increased food production and investigates the probable
causes of apparent low maize production on this farm.
The investigation was designed as a cross-sectional
study. To ensure representativeness the educational
levels of farmers in the settlement were obtained and
used as the basis for stratification of the total population
of the settlers. Fifty percent of the settlers
were then selected through the use of the simple random
sampling procedure.
The instrument of data collection comprised two
sets of questionnaires: one for the Extension Officer
and the other for the settler farmers. Those farmers
who have very little or no formal education were however
interviewed by the investigator.
The findings revealed that the farmers obtained
information from three main sources in the Settlement,
namely, colleague farmers (which includes neighbours
and relatives,) the Extension Officer and the weekly
meeting of the settlers.
Information also flowed into the Settlement
through visitors, namely, VORADEP staff, middlemen
market women and agro-chemical sellers. Information
was obtained through radio, face to face communication,
newspapers, magazines and cinema/video.
The study further identified a number of factors
that hinder information flow through the sources and
channels of communication used in the Settlement.
Among these are the high cost of newspapers and
magazines, the difficulty of understanding language of
communication and their inability to receive magazines
and newspapers on time.
It also identified other problems that face the
settlers which could hinder the implementation of
agricultural information from the sources and channels
of communication mentioned by the farmers. These
include the absence of an effective management on the
farm, high cost of seeds, fertilizers and agro chemicals.
.The work concludes with suggestions for improving
information flow on the farm.
