The Effectiveness of Mass Media in Agricultural Extension and Development

Mass media will always be considered as an important element needed to effectively transfer technologies which are intended to foster production of agricultural produce. In a bid for farmers to profit from these innovations, there must be accessibility and effective education on the utilization and application in different farming systems or practices. Mass media are critical in disseminating useful information to aid the farmers make knowledgeable decisions in respect to agricultural activities. This paper classifies mass media as encompassing print, broadcast and the digital media. For a successful implementation of an agricultural development programme, the level and extent of the usage of the mass media is paramount. The Broadcast media, that is, Radio and Television is known asthe most effective medium of mass communication in disseminating knowledge and information to farmers. The paper states that the utilization of printed materials in disseminating information about agriculture is not appropriate for instructing farmers whose education are limited; moreso, information arranged to be circulated to a general audience might fall short of usefulness to every farmer across different communities. The studyconcludes that with the burning need for agricultural extension information and edcation by farmers, the mass media becomes even more necessary.