Jimmy Pittchar

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Jimmy Pittchar is a Social Scientist. His research interests interface natural and social sciences, translating bio-sciences into holistic development of agricultural systems, resilient food systems and enabling sustainable impacts of scientific innovations. He conducts inter-disciplinary research on the development, adaptation and adoption of icipe’s push-pull technology (www.push-pull.net) in Africa, helping smallholder farmers to intensify and sustainably improve their cereal crop and livestock productivity and agro-ecosystem resilience. He specializes in interdisciplinary research, mathematical modeling of human populations, biological and environmental processes driving them, their spatial organization and holistic development.

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Push–Pull Technology

Radio and Mobile Phone Ownership or Access by Smallholder Farmers of Eastern Uganda and Its Potential Use for Push-Pull Technology Dissemination

The Journal of Agricultural Extension, Sep 10, 2017

A baseline survey of ownership or access to radio and mobile phone was conducted in seven distric... more A baseline survey of ownership or access to radio and mobile phone was conducted in seven districts of eastern Uganda in 2015. The purpose of this survey was to assess the role of radio and modern communication technologies to promote push-pull technology as an integrated management approach to control striga and stemborer and improve soil fertility. The selected districts are where icipe is currently disseminating the technology. The survey was conducted from seven districts where 30 respondents from each were identified for the study. Semi structured questionnaires were administered where data including household demography, ownership and or access to radio and mobile phone was collected. The data were analyzed using STATA (version 13). The findings show that there are over eight (Ateso, Luganda, Samia, Japadhola, Lugisu, Lusoga, Kiswahili, and English) languages spoken in the surveyed districts. Most of the respondents speak more than one language. Overall, ownership of radio and mobile phone was at 82% and 87% respectively with slight differences between men and women. Moreover, those who do not own radio and mobile phones also stated that they have access to one. On average, 83% of the respondents (174 out of 210) said that they do receive text messages, whereas, only 53% of the respondents indicated that they also send text messages. A great proportion of the respondents (91%, 80%, and 77%) received agricultural, weather and market information through the radio. Over 65% of the respondents reported benefiting from the agricultural programs broadcasted via radio. 45 and 50% stated that they benefitted from market and weather information. However, the level of benefit rendered from mobile phones with regard to agricultural, market and weather information was negligible. The study showed that radio and mobile phones are best suited mass communication media to transfer technologies such as push-pull to address cross-cutting problems such as striga, cereal stem borer and low soil fertility. It will strengthen the agricultural extension service delivery at large.

Perceived Preference of Radio as Agricultural Information Source Among Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

The Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2017

In the scarcity of agricultural extension agents providing service to farmers, radio comes handy ... more In the scarcity of agricultural extension agents providing service to farmers, radio comes handy due to its wide geographical coverage. However, not all radio stations are preferred by farmers and hence identifying the right station should be a prerequisite prior engaging them. The objective of this study was to determine radio station preference, choices of broadcasting languages, favourite radio shows, radio listening behaviour including time and place of listenership by smallholder farmers of eastern Uganda. The study involved 210 respondents from seven districts. Data collected include; household characteristics, preferred radio stations, broadcasting language, radio listenership, favourite radio shows. The data were analyzed using STATA (version 13). Results unveiled that a total of 19 radio stations were identified to be favourite across seven districts with no single preferred radio station that serves all the districts. With regard to broadcasting language preferences, selections varied depending on the predominant language spoken in a district. However, Luganda seems to be among the choices of the respondents in several districts. Respondents tune into the radio from 3-6 hours daily with no significant difference among male and female listeners. Although respondents tune into the radio throughout the day, best preferred time was in the evening. Radio shows such as educational programs related to health and agriculture, News and, entertainment featured among the favourite programs. For agricultural programs to be more attractive there is a need to improve, formats, program content that involves farmers throughout.

Jimmy Pittchar

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