Rural Communication Services (RCS) and Appropriation of Flatbed Dryers among Farmers in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Abstract

This study analyses the impact of rural communication services (RCS) on rice farmers’ appropriation of flatbed dryers in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The study faces the problem from the sociopsychological lens of viewing communication problems. A survey of 131 rice farmers from three barangays in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, namely Pulong Buli, Mambarao and Malaya has been conducted to collect data. For the key informant interview (KII), informants/interviewees were leaders of farmers’ organisations, municipal agricultural officer, agricultural technicians, and flatbed dryer developers. The findings reveal that there is a source-driven orientation of communication services in the study area as the majority of the rice farmers passively receive information from different sources. The most accessed RCS provider was the municipal agriculture office. Farmers viewed that information as relevant to their needs because they were able to utilise them in their farming practices and they were compatible with the existing methods and practices. Most of the respondents were engaged in person-to-person communication in accessing information about the flatbed dryer. Attending seminars and training, cooperative assemblies and membership in Farmers’ Field School (FFS) were among the opportunities where the respondents engaged in peer learning.