EFFECTIVENESS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES ON AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES DELIVERY IN SELECTED DISTRICTS OF NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

Despite the extension policies and programmes put in place by government to change the face of agricultural extension delivery in Ghana, transfer of agricultural knowledge and information still remain critical. Current ratio of AEAs to farmers now stands at an average of 1:3000. This research therefore, presents results of a survey assessing the effectiveness of three Knowledge Management approaches on agricultural extension services delivery based on the responses of 450 farmers in selected districts of Northern Region. Correlation, Chi Square statistics, Theory of Planned Behaviour, multiple regression and SERVQUAL model were employed in analysing the data and results presented using frequency and percentage tables and graph. The study revealed that opinion leaders, agricultural extension agents, NGOs and religious leaders have strong influence on farmers’ choice of knowledge management approaches. Age, gender and educational level have no influence on farmer’s intention to use knowledge management approaches. However, factors such as, inability to interpret messages, untimely delivery of information, and misrepresented information can influence farmers’ decision to use knowledge management approaches. Farmers were not satisfied in all the agricultural knowledge management approaches. The research thus recommend that MoFA should integrate use of Mobile phone and participatory video approaches to complement existing direct contacts with extension agents’ approach to reach more farmers in the rural deprived areas of the Northern Region and beyond.