Abstract
This study analyzed cocoa-based Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS) in Atiwa and East Akim districts of the Eastern Region of Ghana by using descriptive statistics and Total Information Score (TIS). Total Information Score (TIS) was used to rank the information sources according to the farmers' extent of contact with and usefulness of the information sources. On the whole, the total information score of mass media ranked the most frequently used and useful information sources, with personal information sources the second and public information sources third followed by private information sources ranking the least thus fourth. The study recommends for the use of mass media especially radio and television sets in availing cocoa-based information to farmers.
Highlights
The centrality of agriculture to the development of developing economies is beyond dispute
Due to the fact that older people generally stay in the villages and relatively younger people go to cities for education, learning of trade and in search of white-colour jobs, majority (57.0%) of the farmers are in the older age bracket 56 and above
The research found out that at the village level, farmers sought for information and knowledge on cocoa mostly from their colleague farmers, family members as well as from their small radios and television more often than from extension agents, research institutes and university staff
Summary
The centrality of agriculture to the development of developing economies is beyond dispute. The average national annual yield of cocoa in Ghana is 350 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) and this value is relatively low as compared to 800 kg/ha in Côte d'Ivoire, and 1700 kg/ha in Malaysia. This has been attributed to a number of factors most especially the huge knowledge gap whose consequence is low adoption of cocoa technologies by farmers (MASDAR International Consultants, 1998). Knowledge gaps and information problems are key constraints to efficient functioning of markets and equitable growth and development (Garforth et al, 2003)
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