Agricultural Information Gathering and Use among Smallholders’ Sugarcane Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tanzania: A Case of Kilosa District

Abstract

Aims: The agricultural sector is considered the backbone of Tanzania's economy. Information accessibility to farmers depends on the situation and the available sources. This article aims at attempting to understand the agricultural information gathering and use among smallholders’ sugarcane farmers during the covid-19 pandemic in Tanzania: a case of Kilosa district. Research Methods:  In this study, we conducted field surveys among farmers, and of the out in Ruaha, Kidodi, and Kidogobasi villages in Kilosa district, in Morogoro region, Tanzania. A total number of 4776 key informants were engaged in the study to examine information accessibility to farmers depending on the situation and the available sources. Results: The study found out that agricultural information smallholder farmers needed for sugarcane farming was information on markets 84%, sugarcane payment per ton 74%, and information on the harvest and fertilizers application 72%. We observed that the main source of agricultural information was fellow farmers and agricultural information officers and Radio. We discovered that, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority (89.7%) accessed agricultural information from their fellow farmers, (71.3%) of respondents said that agricultural extension officer was their preferred source. It was revealed that the majority (83.0%) of the smallholder sugarcane farmers revealed that a limited number of agricultural extension officers was the main challenge, (72.4%) of the respondents said that a limited number of seminar-workshop and agricultural training incomplete statement. The findings adds up on the insights on the utilization of agricultural information during pandemic. Conclusion: It can be concluded that agricultural information accessibility is important to smallholder farmers’ sugarcane production; furthermore, agricultural extension officers are a significant role in farmers’ productivity even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.