| dc.description |
This article provides a review of the information needs and information seeking
patterns of the rural farmers in selected districts of Tanzania. Focus group data
was triangulated with interview data in order to validate, confirm and
corroborate quantitative results with qualitative findings. The findings revealed
that the information needs and information seeking patterns of farmers were
location and gender specific to a certain extent. Farmers relied on
interpersonal and face to face communication more than explicit sources of
information. Constraints on information access included internal (personal)
and external barriers (unavailability of the extension officers, distant locations
for consultations with public extension officers, poor responses to information
requests from the government and village leaders, lack of awareness of the
available information sources, inability of some experts to solve problems, and
poor knowledge sharing culture). It is thus important for the government to
improve access to extension services, and equip them with necessary skills and
adequate information resources. Further, the public and extension services,
researchers, educators, information services and other agricultural actors
should conduct regular studies on information needs, map communities’
knowledge and information sources, create awareness of information sources,
and knowledge culture, and use multiple sources of information (such as print
and ICTs) to deliver relevant information in the communities in order to meet
the disparate farmers’ needs. |
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