Correlates of smallholder poultry farmers extension and marketing information needs: evidence from north-eastern South Africa.

Abstract

This study investigated the extension and marketing information needs of poultry farmers in Nkomazi, South Africa. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data through face-to-face interviews from 91 randomly sampled smallholder poultry farmers in the area. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) analysis was used to analyse the correlates of the extension and marketing information needs of the poultry farmers. The results revealed that information on optimal production, disease management, feeding and water management are prominent areas where information and advisory services were highly needed by the farmers. Also, areas of high marketing information need by the poultry farmers were on product promotion and advertisement, record keeping and market outlet and strategies. Farmer’s income, membership of farmer groups, and access to extension visits were significant correlates of the farmers extension and marketing information needs. The study recommended a need to improve on the implementation of the National Extension Policy by extension organisations through scaling-up their level of reach to poultry farmers in the area and ensure that the prominent areas of extension and marketing information needs highlighted are focused on when rendering extension and advisory services to the farmers.