SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING MASS MEDIA USAGE BY CASSAVA FARMERS IN CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

This study examines the socioeconomic factors influencing mass media usage by cassava farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to; assess the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in Cross River State, determine the type of mass media used for reporting rural and agricultural development issues, ascertain the type of agricultural information utilized by cassava farmers, and assess the relationship between the socioeconomic characteristics of cassava farmers and the type of mass media used for reporting rural and agricultural development issues in Cross River State. The population of the study comprised of cassava farmers residing around mass media houses in the study area. The study adopted the proportionate sampling technique to select 150 respondents at 30% out of 500. A researcher structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that; the distribution of respondents by sex shows that 55.7% of cassava farmers were male, while 44.3% were female. In terms of age distribution, the majority of respondents (43.3%) fell within the 15–25 years age group, followed by 24.7% in the 26–35 range. Also, that radio was ranked the most widely used source of information by cassava farmers, with a mean of 3.83, followed closely by town criers (mean = 3.81), while marketing information had the highest mean score (M = 3.52; SD = 1.92). The study concluded that Cassava production remains a critical livelihood activity for smallholder farmers in Cross River State, yet their productivity and access to innovations are often constrained by inadequate agricultural information dissemination. The study recommended that regular assessments should be conducted to identify farmers’ preferred media platforms and adapt extension services accordingly. And also, partnerships between agricultural institutions and media houses should be fostered to provide timely, reliable, and localized agricultural information.