Bulletis of Natural and Applied Sciences
Vol. 1(2):186-198
Assessment of Effectiveness of Mass Media Usage in Promoting Agroforestry Technologies Among Smallholder Farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria
1 Sirajo, A., 2 Ibrahim, S., 3 Anamayi, S. E., 4 Goni, I. C. & 5 Asma’u M. K. (1 Department of Agricultural Technology, Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, Nigeria; 2 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
ABSTRACT
Agroforestry, which integrates trees and shrubs into crop and livestock systems, offers numerous benefits,
including improved soil fertility, increased biodiversity, and enhanced resilience to climate change. This
study assesses the effectiveness of mass media in promoting agroforestry technologies among smallholder
farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 180
respondents. Kaduna State was first stratified into its three agricultural zones: Zone A (Maigana), Zone B
(Barnawa), and Zone C (Samaru Kataf). One Local Government Area (LGA) was randomly selected from
each zone, targeting those with the highest number of agroforestry farmers. Three districts were
randomly chosen from each LGA, and two villages were purposively selected from each district,
culminating in 18 villages. Finally, ten agroforestry farmers from each village were purposively selected,
totalling 180 respondents. Data was collected using a validated and pretested structured questionnaire.
Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, tables, percentages, and means were used for data
analysis. Findings reveal that radio is the most effective medium for disseminating agricultural
information, cited by 52.8% of respondents, followed by posters and mobile phones. However, significant
constraints, including inconvenient programme timing, poor network services, lack of extension services,
and economic barriers, hinder the effective use of mass media. The demographic analysis indicates that
most respondents are within the productive age bracket of 31-40 years, predominantly male, with varying
educational attainment and farming experience. The study recommends enhancing radio programme
scheduling, improving network infrastructure, strengthening extension services, among others to
overcome these challenges.
