ASSESSMENT OF ACCESS AND USAGE OF MASS MEDIA AMONG RICE FARMERS IN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined access and usage of mass media among rice farmers in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. It also identified the constraints to the usage of mass media tools among the farmers in the study area. Purposive random sampling methods were used to generate data from 138 respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the major mass media used by respondents were radio (86.2%), television (48.6%), Internet (48.6%), posters (46.4%), and leaflets (39.1%). The agricultural information medially accessed by the respondents from the mass media were credit facilities, marketing information, pests and diseases, fertilizer application, improved seeds, and improved storage facilities. The farmers identified a high need for agricultural information relating to credit, marketing, pests and diseases, fertilizer, improved seeds, and storage facilities. The high cost of mass media facilities, inadequate electricity, lack of local content, low level of education, lack of awareness of mass media use, and the inability of the farmers to access information from mass media were the major constraints faced by the respondents. The study recommended subsidizing the cost of media facilities, increasing access to electricity supply, creating awareness and skill of the farmers to take advantage provided by mass media tools for their farming benefits, and increasing the usage of other mass media outlets were made to enable the respondents to have full access/use of mass media to improve rice production.