An agricultural research organisation categorised farmers in village X according to the rate of adoption of new ideas and came up with the following: Innovators 10, Early adopters 15, Late adopters 70, Never adopters 25
(a) Calculate the percentage of early adopters and state the implication of this percentage on the extension system.
(b) Suggest four ways of encouraging the innovators.
(c) State four possible reasons for the high number of late adopters.
(d) State two merits of the print media as a channel for agricultural extension.
Explanation
(a)(i) Percentage of early adopters = Number of early adopters x 100/total number of farmers = 15 / 10 + 15 + 25 + 70×100 = 50/4= 12.5%
(ii) The implication of this low percentage is that innovations will take a long time to be adopted.
(b) Ways of encouraging the innovators include: (i) Organising agricultural sh to enable them to display their products for the purpose of attracting other farmers. (ii) Presentation of prizes or awards to innovators. (iii) Constantly supplying them with farm inputs. (iv) providing them with finance. (v) They should be assisted in marketing their produce. (vi) They should be provided with vital market information.
(c) Possible 3 sons for the high number of late adopters could be a result of (i) illiteracy (ii) disenchantment with inconsistent government policies or programmes. (iii) poor communication system. (iv) a weak extension system. (v) poor financial base to enable them to adopt early. (vi) It could also be due to the effects of culture and tradition. (viii) Perhaps the result of a new technique is not significantly better than the existing method.
(d) Merits of the p media as an extension channel are: (i) The information lasts long (ii) It can be received by any person i at any time. It can be posted or received by mail. (iv) Pictures can easily serve as teaching aids. (v) It is important in disseminating information to the deaf but literate farmers. (vi) It reaches a larger number of target audience.