Information needs of and use by rural farmers in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of this qualitative case study was to determine the information needs of rural farmers in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. The study explored various literature on information needs of rural farmers and the information services available to them. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with twenty lead farmers who are hosts of Farmers’ Field Schools. The findings show that farmers in Bungoma County are mostly interested in information that helps them to generate quick incomes from their agribusinesses. They access agricultural information mostly from verbal messages passed on by extension officers and local administration leaders. The farmers confessed that the information accessed from electronic sources like local FM radios is very useful in enhancing their agricultural enterprises and therefore agricultural development partners, policy makers and stakeholders in Western Kenya should use local FM radio often to disseminate information on agricultural development. The challenges encountered by the farmers in their quest for information relates to affordability. This study contributes to social change by recommending agricultural development partners, policy makers and stakeholders in Western Kenya implement programmes for reducing the distances that farmers travel to access agricultural information and the costs they incur in applying the knowledge gained from the various information channels.

Lolu cwaningo lokuthola kabanzi ngesimo belugxile ekuqaguleni izidingo kwezolwazi nokusetshenziswa kwalo kubalimi basemakhaya endaweni yaseBungoma County, esentshonalanga Kenya. Kulolu cwaningo kuye kwabhekisiswa izincwadi nemibhalo ehlukahlukene maqondana nezidingo zolwazi zabalimi basemakhaya kanye nalezo zinsiza zolwazi abakwaziyo ukufinyelela kuzo. Ulwazi lwedatha luye lwaqoqwa ngokuthi kwenziwe izingxoxo-mibuzo nabalimi abangamashumi amabili okuyibona abavelele futhi abaye basingathe uhlelo lwabalimi olubizwa nge-Farmers’ Field Schools. Okutholakele kukhomba ukuthi intshisekelo yabalimi baseBungoma County ikakhulukazi imayelana nokuthola ulwazi oluzobasiza ekwakheni ngokushesha imali eyingeniso kumabhizinisi abo ezolimo. Kuvamise ukuthi ulwazi lwezolimo baluthole ngemibiko edluliswa ngomlomo ivela kubalimisi (extension officers) nakubaholi bezokuphatha basendaweni. Balibeke ngembaba abalimi elokuthi luwusizo kakhulu ekwesekeni amabhizinisi abo ezolimo ulwazi oluvela emithonjeni ye-elekthronikhi efana nesiteshi somsakazo we-FM sasendaweni, ngakho-ke kungaba ngcono uma labo okubanjiswene nabo (partners) kwezokuthuthukisa ezolimo, futhi nabakhi benqubomgomo kanye nalabo ababambe iqhaza entshonalanga Kenya bengasebenzisa isiteshi somsakazo we-FM sasendaweni ukusabalalisa ulwazi lokuthuthukisa ezolimo. Ukubhekana nezindleko yilona hlangothi abahlangabezana nezinselelo kulo abalimi, ekuphokopheleni kwabo ukuthola ulwazi. Lolu cwaningo luyigalelo ekuguquleni ezenhlalo yomphakathi ngokuphakamisa ukuthi labo okubanjiswene nabo ekuthuthukiseni ezolimo, abakhi benqubomgomo kanye nalabo ababambe iqhaza entshonalanga Kenya mabaqalise ukusebenzisa izinhlelo zokunciphisa amabanga amade okudinga ahanjwe ngabalimi ukuze bafinyelele kulwazi lwezolimo kanye nezindleko abangena kuzo uma sebesebenzisa lolo lwazi abaluthole ngemizila eyehlukene yolwazi.

Nepo ya nyakišišo ye ya khwalithethifi e be e le go laetša dinyakwa tša tshedimošo le ditšhomišo tša balemi ba dinagamagae go la Bungoma County, bodikela bja Kenya. Nyakišišo e nyakišišitše dingwalwa tša go fapana mabapi le dinyakwa tša balemi ba dinagamagae le ditirelo tša tshedimošo tše ba di hwetšago. Datha e kgobokeditšwe ka dipoledišano tša go dirwa thwii le balemi ba go eta pele ba masomepedi bao e lego benggae ba Dikolo tša Tlhabollo ya Balemi. Dikutullo di laetša gore balemi go la Bungoma County ba na le kgahlego gagolo go tshedimošo yeo e ba thušago go tšweletša letseno la ka pela go tšwa go dikgwebotemo tša bona. Ba hwetša tshedimošo ya temo gagolo ka melaetša ya molomo ye e fetišwago ke balemiši le baetapele ba selegae ba tshepedišo. Balemi ba dumetše gore tshedimošo ye e hwetšwago methopong ya elektroniki bjalo ka setiši sa FM sa radio ya tikologo e na le mohola matlafatšong ya dikgwebo tša bona tša temo gomme ka go realo bašomišani ba tlhabollo ya temo, bangwaladipholisi le bakgathatema ka bodikela bja Kenya ba swanela gore ba upše ba šomiše setiši sa FM sa radio go phatlalatša tshedimošo ka ga tlhabollo ya temo. Ditlhohlo tše balemi ba kopanago natšo mošomong wa bona wa tshedimošo di amana le phihlelelego. Nyakišišo ye e kgatha tema go phetogo ya leago ka go eletša bašomišani ba tlhabollo ya temo, bangwaladipholisi le bakgathatema go la borwa bja Kenya gore ba phethagatše mananeo go fokotša bokgole bjoo balemi ba bo sepelago go hwetša tshedimošo ya temo le ditshenyegelo tše ba di dirago tšhomišong ya tsebo ye e hweditšwego go tšwa dikanaleng tša go fapana tša tshedimošo.