Interactive radio-based agricultural knowledge sharing: a case study of women crop farmers in dodoma city, Tanzania.

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Date

2024

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Publisher

Sokoine University of Agriculture

Abstract

This study was conducted in the area under the jurisdiction of Dodoma City Council, in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. The data collection took place between March and April 2023. The main objective of the study focused on assessing interactive radio-based agricultural knowledge sharing by women crop farmers in Dodoma City. The selected administrative streets were Mchemwa, and Azimio from Makutupora ward, Maendeleo and Chihanga from Chihanga ward, and Hombolo Bwawani B from Hombolo ward. The study focused on assessing interactive ways used by radio programmers to obtain women crop farmers’ agricultural reactions and demands. The study specifically intended to identify women crop farmers’ agriculture-related radio programs co-decided as relevant. Also, the study intended to identify women crop farmers’ limitations to be involved in the co-deciding process. To achieve these objectives, face-to-face interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews were employed. Purposive and snowball sampling procedure was used to identify study participants. Questionnaires with open-ended questions were used to allow the study participants to provide views in their own words. Afterward, content analysis was used to analyse the data according to the study objective and themes. The study revealed that radio programmers interact with women crop farmers by visiting them in their fields/ home to conduct face-to- face interviews while recording their agricultural reactions and demands. Moreover, radio programmers provide opportunities for women crop farmers to call and share their opinions or ask for information clarifications. Likewise, the programmers invite women crop farmers as guests in the studio to talk on various topics. Despite such interactive ways available, the study found that there is inadequate interaction between women crop farmers and radio programmers. The low interaction results from women crop farmers' many household responsibilities, being prohibited by their husbands from speaking on behalf of their families (taboos), language barriers and not being contacted by radio programmers. Moreover, identified barriers include a scarcity of radios and mobile phones, absence of electricity for device charging, domestic responsibilities, fear of spousal disapproval, and non-contact by programmers, voucher purchase costs, and language obstacles. Second, radio programmers inadequately align with the agricultural- specific needs of women crop farmers. The majority of women crop farmers have time between 20:00 and 22:00 hours at night. The reason attributing to this is that women crop farmers are busy with household responsibilities at other times. The study further found that radio programmers prefer the morning sessions. Moreover, women crop farmers preferred language differ from that used by radio programmers when airing agricultural radio programs. The study found that women crop farmers prefer the use of both Swahili and vernacular languages. Unluckily, the study found that most of the licenses provided by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to radio stations recommend the use of Swahili only. Third, women crop farmers lack knowledge on who is responsible for preparing agricultural radio programs. The study found that women crop farmers know that those responsible for preparing agricultural radio programs are radio programmers only. This situation makes some women crop farmers to demand gifts especially money for them to give their agricultural information. The tendency makes radio programmers to decide alone on what agricultural radio programs to air. The study concludes that although interactive radio programs are crucial in promoting agricultural knowledge sharing for women crop farmers, they are still some challenges related to the scarcity of radios and mobile phones ownership, the absence of electricity for device charging, domestic responsibilities, and spousal disapproval. Moreover, non-contact by programmers, voucher purchase costs, and language obstacles remain a barrier. Therefore, the government through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) should address financial constraints hindering women's crop farmers from interacting with radio programmers. This will align with the TCRA's core value of commitment to prioritizing information consumer interests. Additionally, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology is urged to empower school girls by providing agricultural education through secondary levels. In turn, the school girls will share the information to their mothers. The proposed initiatives can foster improved access to vital agricultural information for women crop farmers and contribute to their socio-economic development.

Description

MSc Dissertation

Keywords

Radio-based, Agricultural knowledge, Women crop, Farmers, Dodoma city

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