The Role of ICT in Effective Dissemination of Extension Information among Women Livestock Farmers in North West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Over the past years, extensive efforts have been made throughout the world to provide female farmers with effective, suitable technology, training, and information. As a result, positive effects are beginning to show in agricultural production and family welfare. But the successes are limited at a time when public sector investments in agricultural research and extension are under pressure, when ever-greater demands are being placed on rural women in the face of rapid social transformation and in an increasing number of areas, when evidence of environmental degradation is growing. ICTs are now being used to provide basic solutions to farmers and are increasingly being supported by extension practitioners for use in agricultural production and marketing systems. This paper is intended to investigate the role played by ICT in the dissemination of effective extension information among women livestock farmers in the North West Region of Cameroon. Primary data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires, observations, focus groups and interview guides. Secondary data were obtained from books, journals, research projects and scientific articles. These provided the necessary quantitative and qualitative data that were used to draw conclusions. Multi stage sampling techniques were used to select the female farmers for the study. Four hundred (400) questionnaires were administered randomly to collect data from the communities. The women were examined using different channels like media, phone calls, friends, and agricultural technicians. The results from the study shows that, the media seemingly are doing a great job in disseminating of appropriate agricultural information. Therefore, 40.5% of the farmers get information from the media or magazines but only (7.8%) get information through phone calls. The findings of this study can go a long way to help policy makers in planning and designing need-based information infrastructural system for rural farmers.