Mass Media and the Implementation of National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) Programme on the Development of Sheema District, Uganda
Loading...
Date
2012-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala International University, masters degree in development studies
Abstract
This thesis titled Mass Media and the Implementation of National Agricultural
Advisory Services (NAADS) programme on the development of Sheema district,
Uganda, was conducted in Kitagata Sub County Sheema District. The study
objectives were to determine: the demographic profile of the respondents in terms
of age, gender, and income level; the level of Mass media communication in NAADS
programme; the extent of the NAADS programme on the implementation and
whether there is a significant relationship between the level of Mass media
communication and the level of NAADS implementation in agricultural development
of Sheema district. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research
methods. The study's major findings were as follows: majority of the respondents
were in the age bracket of 40-50 and Females. It also revealed that Mass media
plays a major role in mobilization of farmers followed by exposure of corruption and
publicity of NAADS. Also it was found that, majority of the respondents were for
Sources of agricultural inputs, Information on NAADS and animal diseases followed
respectively. On the nature of agricultural information disseminated by the available
mass media the study revealed that, majority of the respondents were for crop and
animal diseases, season changes, and weather forecasts. The relationship between
mass media usage and increase in agricultural productivity was established as r=
0.757. This highlights the strong relationship between the two. The study concluded
and recommended that; NAADS interventions have not had a major impact on the
output, productivity and income of the farmers in Kitagata Subcounty, Sheema.
NAADS programme faces implementation weaknesses such as Corruption and
nepotism that affect the selection of beneficiaries and enterprise processes, to the
extent that some farmers are apathetic about the success or failure of the
programme. The major weaknesses in implementation of NAADS programme were
late disbursement of funds, very low counterpart funding by the LoG and the
farmers, and o' verall weakness in M&E of the programme. What emerges from this
study is the need for NAADS secretariat to simplify and make the process of farmers
and enterprise selection more transparent and farmer driven through the farmer
groups rather than NAADS administrators. NAADS should consider using a voucher
system and work with reputable input traders where farmers redeem input subsidy
and vouchers for inputs rather than the present lengthy and corruption prone
process of getting farmers inputs through NAADS coordinators. Finally, there is need
to urgently revise the current NAADS M&E procedure to make it effective. Mass
media has been sighted as a key element in successful implementation of NAADS.
This however, needs to be strengthened to tackle more issues on regular basis as a
way of boosting the farmers' information capacity.
Description
A Thesis Presented To The College Of Higher Degrees And Research Kampala International University Kampala, Uganda In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Award Of The Degree Of Master Of Development Studies
Keywords
Mass Media, the Implementation of National Agricultural Advisory Services, Sheema District