Small-scale Farmers’ Information Needs and Obstacles: Evidence from the Volta Region, Ghana

Abstract

: Agricultural information is assuming increasing importance in the face of current biotic and abiotic stresses, coupled with changing dynamics of agricultural practice globally. This paper contributes to the discourse by examining information needs and obstacles of small-scale farmers in the Volta Region, Ghana. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data from six hundred and thirty (630) small-scale farmers, selected through multistage sampling technique. The study showed that information on marketing, post-harvest techniques, and diseases and pests management were the critical information needs of small-scale farmers in the Region. The study further established that majority of small-scale farmers were aware of information sources in the Region with the major information sources consulted by farmers in order of preference being family members, friends, radio, television and extension agents. A chi-square analysis showed that educational level of farmers was not significant at ρ ≤ 0.05 and therefore did not affect farmers’ information needs. Besides, the study showed that the major obstacles facing small-scale farmers were lack of skills to access information, inadequate information resources, insufficient agricultural extension agents, and absence of Agricultural Information Centres. These findings will certainly shape agricultural extension program planning in the Region and inform national extension policy.