The Information Access and Information Services of the Farmers in Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet

Abstract

This study was concerned with the information access and services of the farmers in Barangay Madaymen. This identified the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, their information needs, the information services available to them, how they access information, determine the challenges encountered in the information service and access of the respondents, and gathered suggestions for the improvement of the information services and access. Interview schedule was used to obtain data from the 100 farmer respondents and five key informants. Most of the farmer-respondents were male and married, clustered under the age bracket of 31-40. Almost half of the respondents stepped secondary level and all of them speaks Kankanaey. Thirty-two percent were into farming for at least 20 years. Majority of the respondent needs are information on controlling pest and diseases, seeds availability, pesticide/ fertilizer availability, and weather-related information. The top three services available to the respondents are radio, leaflets and television where they acquire updates on vegetable price, weather, and general agriculture. The enumerated information services were primarily utilized by pesticide company technicians, radio stations and broadcasting company in disseminating information. Listening to radio programs and discussing with fellow farmers are the main approaches of the farmer-respondents in accessing information. The five key informants identified lack of funds, farmers’ lack of integration with farming organizations, and reluctance to change as problems faced in information provision. Meanwhile, the farmer-respondents identified lack of time and financial concerns as the top problems that hinders them in availing information services. With all the situations assessed by the farmer-respondents, they suggested for regular visit of staff from MAO and conduct of seminar as well.