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