Farmer Information Support Project

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Country

Ghana

Region

Africa

Programme Summary

The Farmer Information Support project is a 3-month pilot programme focused on using information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as radio to conduct an interactive, farmer distance-learning programme. The project is the result of a one-day forum organised by Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) in February of 2004 with farmers taking part in the Irrigation Company of the Upper Regions (ICOUR) irrigation scheme in an effort to ascertain their information needs. The project expects to benefit about 4000 farmers in the Tono and Vea Irrigation Area and also other farmers in the region, especially vegetable crop farmers.

Communication Strategies

This project uses ICTs in an effort to provide farmers in Ghana with information that may improve their livelihoods. The project consists of a radio programme which shares information about such techniques as integrated crop and pest management (ICPM) and communicates market information. It includes weekly radio broadcasts in English, Kasem, Grune and Buli (with each dialect having a day each) that are aired on URA Radio.

A researcher from Communication for Research and Development (COMFORD) is the lead resource person for the programme and guides farmers in the practical application of ICPM. The radio programme is recorded both in the studio and in the field.

Live, entertaining events have also been used as part of this project to inform and engage farmers. In a drama which was staged as part of the project’s launch, farmers demonstrated how the wrong application of chemicals could affect crop yield and human life. The drama was conducted in Kasem language.

Development Issues

Agriculture, Economic Development.

Key Points

The project is designed to fill the information gap that farmers in the Upper East region have to contend with.

Partners

Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS), Communication for Research and Development (COMFORD), Irrigation Company of the Upper Regions (ICOUR).