"In Nigeria, as in many other countries, limited numbers of extension agents (one to 4,000 farmers) make it impossible to reach all farmers by interpersonal means. For this reason, radio and, more recently, television have been used by agricultural organizations to disseminate relevant agricultural
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information to larger numbers of farm families at minimal cost and to areas hitherto not accessible to extension agents on a regular basis. While prior studies have confirmed that these radio programs have large audiences, there has been less attention to the perceptions farmers hold about the specific benefits these programs provide. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of two long-running Nigerian agricultural programs, one for radio and the second for TV, as perceived by 198 randomly selected farmers in Oyo State of southwest Nigeria. Results indicate a very positive assessment of both specific program components and the value of the two programs for improving agricultural production across 12 perceptual dimensions." (Abstract)
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"One in a series of guidebooks and training manuals for journal editors in developing countries that are active in the field of agriculture and rural development. They aim to assist editors to improve their publishing operations, and provide more effective communication of the scholarship and the re
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search results published in their journals. The book is organized under nine chapters “that cover what we consider to be the essential basic elements in successful journal publishing.” Interspersed with the text there are a variety of model forms, reproductions of title pages, covers of journals, and other documentation that provide illustrative examples of good practice, together with checklists and listings of address sources." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2487)
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"Evaluation (or assessment) of impact is generally regarded as an essential part of the project cycle, and is already well known and widely used in many disciplines - for example, environmental and social sciences, social psychology - and there is increasing evidence of its application to agricultur
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al research. The same pressures as are being felt in agricultural research apply in agricultural information: new technology, in the form of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is increasing the ability to access, collect, process and generate information, but there is also pressure to justify investment, and to demonstrate results (benefits). However, while the 'information/knowledge' culture may be burgeoning due to new ICTs, neither the methodology nor the culture of information impact studies is yet fully developed. There are as yet few methodologies and applications relating to information management in developing countries, and even fewer which have been or could be applied specifically to agricultural information management. This selective review seeks to engender wider knowledge, acceptance and application of evaluation in the field of agricultural information management by showing how it has been approached in other disciplines, in agricultural research, and most recently in information science and management, with some key examples relating to information management in developing countries. Finally, to give some indication of how it works in practice, some recent examples as applied to information management in developing countries are summarised as case studies." (CTA Website Sept. 11 2007)
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"Produced in landscape format and attractively designed, this is a valuable practical marketing manual that aims to assist small publishers to make sense of the publishing world, particularly NGOs with publishing activities, but where publishing is not the core function. The manual will guide them t
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hrough the principles and processes of effective marketing, and linking the capabilities of a publishing company to the needs of the customer. The author was formerly Marketing and Managing Director of David Philip Publishers in Cape Town, and is well known for a series of successful marketing workshops she has conducted during each year’s Zimbabwe International Book Fair. Those that are struggling with their marketing will find a wealth of practical, hard-nosed advice in this guide, which covers these topics: (1) Defining your Market, (2) What is Marketing? (3) The Marketing Plan, (4) Sales and Selling, (5) Distribution, Co-operative Publishing and Rights, (6) Publishing, Marketing and Finance, (7) Development Agencies, Donors and Commercial Publishers, and (8) Strategic Planning. Interspersed with the text are a number of practical exercises, and there are also reproductions of flyers and other publicity material as illustrative examples of good practice." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2458)
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"For several years there has been an awareness in the Philippines of the need to ensure that investments in natural resources research produce options which farmers may adapt and adopt. The Philippines Council for Agriculture and Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) 1991 Review highlighted th
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e need to address inadequate links between farmers, outreach systems and research. The report underlined the limited number (11 percent) of "mature technologies" which had been adopted by farmers. This case study grew out of an FAO/UNDP communication for development project which aimed at improving the exchange of relevant agricultural information between research, extension networks and farmers in five regions of the Philippines. The field work in each site was started using rapid appraisal techniques. It soon became evident however, that technology and information per se were insufficient elements to propel an increase in agricultural productivity and rural incomes. Other demands were voiced by the communities, which in turn pointed to the need to make services in all sectors more responsive to barangay needs, including credit supply, infrastructure development, marketing, health and education. The farmers' definitions of problems and their underlying causes indicated the limited impact which agricultural information and communication have, if not coordinated, with other services. This explains why agricultural development needs to have a systems perspective. From a systems perspective, it is necessary to identify all the actors involved. In this context it was clear that the Department of Agriculture's extension system is only one of many actors which influence farmers' decision making hence the necessity for systematic mapping of the agricultural information linkages that are important to farmers." (Abstract)
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