COMPLEMENTING EXTENSION OFFICERS IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND EXTENSION SERVICES: UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA AS CHANGE AGENTS IN MODERN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

In conventional agriculture, extension officers are regarded as change agents. They intervene to bring about change through influencing innovation, technology transfer and decision-making process in order to help improve the lives of the farmers and their families. Farmers in 21st century have opportunity of receiving the majority of information about agriculture through mass media outlets as a result technology advancement. A case study design was employed design utilizing mixed research approach focusing on Magu district as study area. The study used both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected using purposive sampling from a sample of 148 farmers whereas the secondary data were collected from Magu District’s agriculture, irrigation and cooperative office. The data collection tools included questionnaire, focused group discussion and semi-structured interview methods. The aim of this study was to investigate how mass media is serving both extension officers and farmers to enhance agriculture knowledge and technology adaptation in the wake of few extension officers. We found extension officer to farmer ratio to be 1:1172 and 1:500 for crop and livestock farmer respectively. This ratio falls short from World Bank recommended standard ratio of 1:200-500 as well as below the Tanzania ministry of agriculture’s standard of two extension officers per village. The rapid development of social media platforms gives the specialty crop industry the ability to speak directly to the public, informing consumers about food production and encouraging them to become agriculture advocates. The impact of mass media among the farmers in enhancing productivity was moderate. This was easily analyzed by examining the theme content in mass media in the country and frequency of media usage by both farmers and extension officers. Amongst various mass media radio and television channels emerged as the most used, most dominant, relevant, low-cost medium and user friendly for farmer-to-farmer-extension and to expose rural communities to new agricultural technologies and ideas. Social media is the most recent form of digital communication and on a global scale and already this study reveal farmers particularly that farmer with high level of education and high-income level using social media for agriculture.