Information Needs and Communication Preferences of Small Scale Fruit Tree Planters in Kidapawan City

Abstract

This study sought to determine the information needs and communication preferences of small-scale fruit tree planters in Kidapawan City. Specifically, the following questions were addressed:

1. What are the planters’ sources of information on fruit tree farming? 2. What types of information on fruit tree farming do planters get from these sources? 3. What information on fruit tree farming do planters need? 4. What are the fruit tree planters’ preferences on the use of communication media?

There were 100 farmers-respondents of the study and each respondent works on a fruit orchard more than 10 hectares. The respondents were selected through simple random sampling from the top 15 fruit-producing barangay in Kidapawan City.

The data gathering instrument used in this study was a modified questionnaire produced by Bangoy (1986). Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages were used to present and analyzed the data.

This study revealed that the farmer-respondents’ top three sources of information on fruit tree farming include agricultural technicians (20.04%), fellow farmers (18%), and seminars/trainings (16.36%).

With regards to the type of information on fruit tree farming that planters get from information sources, this study identified the top three information types they learned through listening to radio and watching television as follows: topics on controlling pest and diseases on fruit trees, soil and climatic requirements for fruit trees, and fertilized and soil management. In terms of reading printed materials, the top three information types learned by the fruit tree planters include intercropping in fruit trees, how to prepare planting materials, and how to plant fruit tree seedlings and controlling pest and diseases in fruit trees.

This study also found out that the top three information on fruit tree farming that planters need are as follows: topics on care and management of immature fruit trees, fertilized and soil management, and pest and disease control.

Further, this study concluded that the small-scale fruit tree planters in Kidapawan City are primarily informed on recent agricultural technologies and innovations through their active involvement in the conduct of training and seminars, which are initiated by the concerned agencies and institutions in the area. These activities, including the use of different communication media such as radio, television, and print have helped them understand updated information on farming technologies.

This study has recommended the conduct of a similar research but shall not focus only on the information needs and communication preferences of small-scale fruit tree planters in a certain locality but medium and large scale fruit tree planters in Mindanao.