Sokoine National Agricultural Library

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Automating agricultural information and documentation services in Tanzania
(1988) Massawe, Julian J
Agricultural development is essential for Tanzania's economic growth and national development. This dissertation reviews the development of agricultural documentation and information services, examines factors that pose obstacles in the development process and looks at the role and prospects of information technology, especially microcomputers, in agricultural information management in Tanzania. It is argued that there is need to adopt a coordinated approach to An effective exploitation and better management of these resources is the expected outcome. National bibliographic control is also envisaged. The major agricultural information systems - AGRICOLA, AGRIS and CAB described and their possible inputs into the The services expected from TADIS and their contribution toward the New developments, mainly CD-ROM and its potential as both a storage medium and a vehicle of document delivery are discussed.
Challenges associated with the use of information and communication technologies in information sharing by fish farmers in the Southern highlands of Tanzania
(Emerald, 2020) Dulle, F. W.; Lamtane, H.; Benard, R.
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the challenges facing fish farmers in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in information sharing on fish farming. Design/methodology/approach – This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. It involved 240 fish farmers who were randomly selected. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), observation and key informant’s interviews were used as methods of data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, while content analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings – It was found that the most frequently used ICTs by fish farmers in sharing agricultural information were mobile phones, radio and television. Also, the study revealed that major challenges facing fish farmers in sharing information include unfavourable radio or television broadcasting time, high cost of acquiring and maintenance of ICT facilities, lack of training on ICT, poor network connectivity and low level of literacy. Moreover, it was further found that there was negative significant relationship (P < 0.05) between challenges associated with the use and degree of ICT usage by fish farmers. Originality/value – The study is original with the exception of areas where citations have been made. Besides, it provides awareness and understanding of the challenges facing fish farmers in ICT usage in information sharing on fish farming, and this will enable improvement of timely provision and access to relevant information and hence improved fish farming production.
Communication channels for exchanging agricultural information among Tanzanian farmers: A meta-analysis
(SAGE, 2021) Mtega, Wulystan Pius
This study investigates how communication channels to exchange agricultural information were chosen. Specifically, it identifies the communication channels used by farmers in Tanzania and determines the factors influencing the choice of communication channels for exchanging agricultural information. The study employs a meta-analysis review methodology in identifying, evaluating and interpreting studies relevant to the topic of interest. The results indicate that radio, mobile phones, television, fellow farmers, agricultural extension agents and newspapers were the commonly used communication channels for transferring agricultural information. Moreover, the channels’ influence, availability, affordability, communication network coverage, and the resources and facilities needed to use a particular communication channel were found to influence the choice of channels. It is concluded that understanding the audience, the characteristics surrounding messages and choosing appropriate communication channels are important for enhancing access to agricultural information. It is recommended that agricultural information providers should understand the factors surrounding communication channels before disseminating agricultural information.
Enhancing farmers’ access to and use of agricultural information for empowerment and improved livelihoods: a case of Morogoro region, Tanzania
(SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, 2008) Matovelo, Doris Siima
This study aimed at exploring and testing an intervention that could stimulate and promote the practice of proactive information acquisition by farmers as a strategy for empowerment, reduction of poverty and improvement of livelihoods. It was conducted in Morogoro region in Tanzania in two main stages; the situation analysis survey stage in ten villages, and a longitudinal participatory action-oriented stage which was an intervention phase in four villages. The Village Information Centre (VIC) model was established, monitored and evaluated. This was preceded by the pre-intervention knowledge test in the four research villages and two control villages. Descriptive statistics and frequency distribution of variables were computed, a chi-square test and a regression analysis for selected sets of variables were done. The majority of farmers were between 28-47 years old. Slightly more than half (56%) of all farmers had completed primary school education. Furthermore, 76% of the farmers had functional literacy, and 55% of all respondents had a habit of reading at least once in several months. Close to 90% of all respondents had some printed information in their homes, with newspapers being the most common item. The VIC was highly acceptable in all villages, but the age. level of education and gender were significant factors (p < 0.05) influencing awareness of, visits to and use of the VIC. Farmers revealed diverse and unmet information needs that were not necessarily related to their agricultural activities. The “push” phenomenon inherent in some extension approaches may have led most farmers to develop passive recipience that does not necessarily promote a “pull” phenomenon. Exposure to information is probably needed in order to stimulate a demand for information. The VIC initiative has also demonstrated the presence of reading skills that arc under-utilized. This is a challenge and opportunity for information professionals. Therefore it is recommended that documentary information workers prepare a strategy, which will have a complementary role to the regular extension services, on enhancing the practice of proactive information acquisition by farmers for their own empowerment and improvement of their livelihoods.
The extension triad approach in disseminating agricultural information to extension workers: some experiences from the Southern Highlands Dairy Development Project, Tanzania
(2000) Dulle, F.W.
The agricultural extension services in developing countries have been widely criticised for their ineffectiveness. The extension triad is considered to be an alternative and promising approach in an attempt to improve the extension services in such countries. This study investigates the information- seeking pattern of extension workers and the ways in which the Southern Highlands Dairy Development Project disseminates information to such workers, as well as the extent to which it addresses some of the common problems reported to hinder the extension services in developing countries. Out of 66 copies of a semi-structured questionnaire distributed to dairy extension supervisors and field extension workers within the Project area, 49 responses (69.7% response rate) were received. The use of personal sources, attendance at professional meetings, seminars, short courses and conferences and the reading of newspapers were found to be the three main information sources consulted by the respondents, while contact with researchers and the use of agricultural libraries were very unpopular. The Project extension services proved superior in comparison to the traditional extension services. For sustainability purposes, it is recommended that the Project, in collaboration with the Government and farmer groups, launches an alternative organisation to pursue activities run by the Project before it comes to an end.
Implementation of policies and strategies for agricultural information access and use in Tanzania
(Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal, 2001) Chailla, Angela Mashauri
Agriculture is an important enterprise in Africa and indeed in Tanzania where it is one of the major economic sectors, embracing all its population. Agriculture contributes about 60% to the Gross Domestic Product, generates about 75% of the total export earnings and employs 84% of the Tanzanian active labour force. Information plays a critical role in agricultural development in most countries. However, one of the most serious reasons adduced for the low agricultural production in Africa is the limited access to adequate information support to all stakeholders in agricultural production. This affects all sectors of research, extension and training. Inadequate access to and use of agricultural information by research scientists undermines the potential to fulfil their information needs. They often lack access to current, relevant and timely information. This results in duplication of research efforts. Lack of access to scientific literature in the agricultural field in Tanzania has been attributed to the ineffectiveness of the various information providers in the country, among which the key ones are agricultural libraries and documentation centres. Studies by agricultural information specialists and international organizations have established that agricultural libraries and documentation centres in Less Developed Countries have not excelled in providing agricultural information to users. This has been attributed to several reasons. The major one being the non-implementation of policies, strategies and recommendations advanced by scholars, international organizations and consultants for more availability, accessibility and use of agricultural libraries’ services and facilities. The main objectives of this study were to establish the extent to which Tanzania has implemented the key policies, strategies and recommendations for enhancing accessibility and use of agricultural libraries and documentation centres’ services and facilities. Some of the key policies and strategies recommended by scholars include; increasing the libraries capacity in human, financial and material resources. Such policies and strategies include, among many others: library staff development, (iii)cooperation and networking among agricultural libraries and documentation centres at national regional and international levels and formulation of national information policies to give guidance to agricultural information acquisition, organization, management and provision. They also include formulation of Information and Communication Technologies’ policies for standardization in operating systems and data formats. Two main data collection instruments were used in the study namely; a self administered questionnaire and an interview schedule. The instruments were supplemented by on site observations of the libraries’ operational activities. The sample size comprised 34 agricultural libraries and documentation centres located in all seven agricultural zones and 18 interviewees from the Ministry of agriculture, agricultural institutions and research stations. The Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) for Windows version 9.0 was used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. The problems facing agricultural libraries and documentation centres in Less Developed Countries today are many and varied, and differ from one country to another. In Tanzania, the study findings established that these problems can be classified into six major categories: lack of adequate resources/materials; inadequate number of qualified personnel at managerial, professional and technical levels; lack of cooperation and coordination among existing libraries and documentation centres; limited financial resources; lack of explicit and operational training programmes for library personnel and lack of a national information policy per se. Tanzania has a number of sectoral policies in place, related to information, technology and research. These “little sectoral policies” are fragmented and need a policy framework to provide the missing coordination. The study established that the number of skilled information staff in the national agricultural library system was small. Libraries and documentation centres in many agricultural institutions and research stations were poorly equipped and lacked professional trained staff. Furthermore, operational budgets were limited and hence lack of current and relevant library materials including subscriptions to scientific (iv)journals. Contacts of agricultural information personnel with regional and international circuits on development were found limited. The study findings also revealed that the agricultural library information system in Tanzania was lacking in efficiency and effectiveness in meeting the diversified information needs of agriculturalists, particularly the research scientists. To this effect, where information was abundantly available, it was often inaccessible due to lack of technical know-how in documentation, organization and management for awareness of its availability to users. The study assumed that the global Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and current technological developments in the publishing industry could facilitate effective agricultural information organization and management, including repackaging of information for extension personnel and farmers, and resource sharing via electronic networking. However, the poor economic growth of Tanzania, as in other Less Developed Countries, has posed limitations to the full utilization of ICTs through lack of resources, policy guidelines and frameworks for the implementation of such policies. The study concluded that there has not been an effective and efficient implementation of policies, strategies and recommendations for access and use of agricultural information in Tanzania due to a number of problems, the main ones being: lack of awareness of the policies and strategies among the libraries, parent organizations and policy makers and lack of capacity of the libraries and documentation centres to implement the policies, strategies and recommendations. The study recommended that agricultural libraries and documentation centres in Tanzania be given priority in budget allocation for acquisition of basic equipment, such as photocopiers and micro computers and for training library personnel at all levels. The more affluent libraries, such as the Sokoine National Agricultural Library and the Division of Research and Development library of the Ministry of agriculture, should audit their resources to determine the best ways to assist the documentation centres in remote research stations to organize and adequately present the required information to users. Agricultural libraries’ managers and information specialists (V) should become more assertive,focused, and committed in finding out about the policies and recommendations and eventually working out the requirements for their implementation and monitoring.
The influence of ICT usage in sharing information on fish farming productivity in the southern highlands of Tanzania
(The International Journal Of Science & Technoledge, 2018-02) Benard, R.; Dulle, F.; Lamtane, H.
The use of ICTs in sharing information is very important in enhancing fish farming productivity among fish farmers. However, little is known on the linkage that exists between the use of ICTs and fish farming productivity in southern highlands of Tanzania. This study was conducted in three regions namely; Ruvuma, Mbeya and Iringa and involved twelve divisions purposively selected from six districts. The study involved 240 fish farmers who were randomly selected; it employed a cross section research design. The study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches in collecting data. Questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), observation and key informants interview were used to collect data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Findings indicate that mobile phone, radio and television were the most used ICTs tools among fish farmers for sharing agricultural information. In addition, the study revealed a higher fish farming productivity in Mbinga and Mufindi districts as compared to Iringa District. Moreover, the use of ICTs (radio, mobile phones and television) for sharing agricultural information was found to influence fish productivity. Furthermore, other factors including income, family size, use of poultry manure as pond fertilizer and pond size had a statistical significant and positive relationship with farmer’s productivity. Thus, it is recommended that the media owners and other information providers should disseminate more agricultural programmes related to fish farming practices and make sure that such information is disseminated during appropriate and convenient time for farmers.
Information needs and accessibility by fish farmers in the southern highlands of Tanzania
(2018) Benard, R.; Dulle, F. W.; Hieromin, L. A.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the information needs and accessibility for fish farmers in the Southern high lands of Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach – Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Semistructured interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 240 fish farmers in six selected districts from three regions in Southern high lands of Tanzania. Focus groups and key informants’ interviews were also used to collect qualitative data from 54 fish farmers in the selected districts. Findings – Findings indicated that fish farmers highly needed information related to water treatment (management), spawning operations and fish preservation and processing. However, it was found that access to these categories of information was very low. In addition, findings indicated that age, education and income have a statistical significant and positive relationship with farmer’s information accessibility at p < 0.05. On the other hand, age, amount of fish harvested, education and farming experience had statistical significant and negative relationship with farmer’s information at p < 0.05. Originality/value – The study provides a deep understanding of information needs and accessibility for fish farmers in the in Southern high lands of Tanzania, which will be assisting in in designing focused, needbased and user-oriented information infrastructure in fish farming.

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