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Effect of Agricultural Extension Education on Farmers’ Use of Voice-Based Farm Advisory Services

Abstract

Voice-based farm advisory services provide farmers with opportunities to access agricultural information and technical guidance through telephone calls, recorded voice messages, interactive voice response systems, and other audio-based communication platforms. These services can support the delivery of timely information on farming practices, inputs, weather conditions, pest management, marketing, and other agricultural activities. Agricultural extension education can increase farmers’ awareness and knowledge of available voice-based advisory services and encourage their effective use for addressing farm-related information needs. This study will examine the effect of agricultural extension education on farmers’ use of voice-based farm advisory services. Specifically, the study will assess farmers’ exposure to agricultural extension education, determine their awareness of voice-based advisory services, examine their frequency of using such services, and assess the extent to which extension education influences farmers’ willingness and ability to use voice-based platforms for obtaining agricultural information. The study will focus on agricultural extension education, farmers’ awareness of voice-based advisory services, frequency of service use, accessibility of voice-based platforms, types of agricultural information obtained, and farmers’ use of advisory information. It will also consider information relating to crop production, livestock management, pest and disease control, agricultural inputs, weather information, farm management, post-harvest handling, and agricultural marketing. The study will examine the accessibility and convenience of voice-based services as sources of agricultural advisory information. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from selected farmers using structured questionnaires designed to obtain information on their exposure to agricultural extension education and their use of voice-based farm advisory services. The data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation, as well as appropriate inferential statistical techniques to determine the effect of agricultural extension education on farmers’ use of voice-based advisory services. The study is expected to reveal that farmers with greater exposure to agricultural extension education may be more aware of and more likely to use voice-based farm advisory services. The findings may also show that extension education improves farmers’ knowledge of how to access and use voice-based platforms and encourages them to seek technical information through these services. Differences in usage may be associated with accessibility, frequency of extension contact, relevance of advisory information, and ease of using the voice-based platforms. The study will be useful to agricultural extension agents, farmers, agricultural development agencies, government institutions, telecommunications and agricultural information service providers, non-governmental organisations, and researchers. It may provide useful information for strengthening the integration of voice-based technologies into agricultural extension delivery. The findings may also assist extension organisations in developing accessible advisory systems that can reach farmers who may have limited access to face-to-face extension services or text-based digital platforms. The study concludes that agricultural extension education can contribute to farmers’ use of voice-based farm advisory services by improving awareness, knowledge, and confidence in accessing voice-based agricultural information. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension organisations promote voice-based advisory platforms, train farmers on how to access and use the services, provide timely and relevant agricultural information, and strengthen collaboration with technology providers to improve the delivery of voice-based agricultural extension services.

Keywords: Agricultural extension education, voice-based advisory services, farmers’ use, agricultural information, farm advisory services, extension communication, digital agriculture, voice technology, agricultural knowledge, farmers’ awareness, agricultural extension, information access, rural farmers, agricultural advisory systems, digital extension.