Innovative Agricultural Technology Dissemination: Finding a New Use for Motor Tricycles

Aims: Even though screening of videos to create awareness about agricultural technologies may not be a novelty, adaptation of a motor tricycle for that purpose is an innovation. The study therefore, sought to identify the awareness creation technique that is most preferred by farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana, estimate the per unit cost of creating awareness using various techniques and as well, examine the socio-economic factors that are likely to influence farmers’ decision to patronize Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) video shows as an awareness creation technique.
Study Design: Primary data collected through farmer interviews formed the basis for analysis in this study. Qualitative and quantitative data generated from the questionnaire administration included types and quality of awareness creation techniques utilized by farmers, farmers socioeconomic characteristics among others.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in eight districts in the Northern Region of Ghana in September 2013. The eight districts fall naturally (based on culture) into two ethnic groups, which are the Dagombas and Gonjas. The groups (Dagbon and Gonja Land) formed two strata from which respondents were sampled for the study.
Methodology: A multi stage sampling technique was used to select 322 farmers who were interviewed. Data collected and observations made were subjected to descriptive and logit statistical analysis as well as Friedman test in order to generate results for discussion.
Results: The Friedman test indicates that on-farm demonstration (1.49) was unanimously ranked by the respondents as their most preferred method of receiving ISFM information. On-stage drama (3.0) and radio (3.0) were ranked as the least preferred methods of receiving information on ISFM technologies in Dagbon and Gonja Land respectively. Video show (2.81) was ranked by the respondents as the third most preferred method of receiving information on ISFM technologies. Use of video show and on-farm demonstration were respectively found to be the least and most expensive methods of disseminating ISFM technologies to farmers. Whereas it costs about 1 Ghana cedi (GH¢1.09) to screen an ISFM video to a farmer, it costs about thirty times (GH¢31.10) more to expose a farmer to ISFM by establishing and managing an on-farm demonstration. Results of the logit analysis indicates that being male (0.09), belonging to a relatively large household (0.02), not having access to extension (0.20) or being relatively young (0.01) are factors that are likely to positively influence farmers’ decision to patronize ISFM video shows.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The study concludes that agricultural technology interventions should employ either on-farm demonstrations or video shows, especially when constrained to adopt only a single awareness creation technique. Projects that are cash constrained should opt for video shows by specifically relying on motor tricycle video vans in order to reduce cost. For maximum impact, female farmers, members of relatively small households and elderly farmers should be targeted. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of different awareness creation techniques and their interactive effects.