Communication pathways to enhance the management of edible indigenous fruit trees in Buikwe, Busia and Kamuli Districts, Uganda

Abstract

Over centuries, fruit trees to include Edible Indigenous Fruit Trees (EIFTs) have become an integral component of the traditional food systems, contributing significantly to household food, nutrition, health, and income security. As a result, a number of agencies such as the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), NGOs and the Government line ministry (MAAIF), have employed a variety of information communication pathways to relay information on use and management of these tree resources to farmers. However, the existing pathways used to relay information are largely biased to traditional food crops and fruit tree information with limited or no inclusion for EIFTs. Hence, insufficient if any or no EIFT specific information seems to trickle down to the farmers who need it more to manage, preserve and conserve the tree resources. An exploratory sequential mixed design was adopted to determine farmers’ preference of the different existing communication pathways and how farmers perceived the appropriateness of the pathway for the relay of information on EIFTs. In the initial phase, data was collected from key program managers and extension workers working with selected NGOs and district technical officers. This was followed by collection of data from FGDs from villages situated in sub counties with a highest concentration of EIFTs particularly where the NGOs engaged with farmers in groups. The third and final phase involved the collection of data from 120 participants randomly selected from groups that engaged with the NGOs. Qualitative data were coded and clustered to generate themes patterns while Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, Chi-square and the Mean. For the third objective the diffusion of innovation decision model was adopted to guide the synthesis of results from objective one and two to obtain pathways that would appropriately fit the different stages of the innovation decision process for the relay of information on EIFTs. The farmer perceived preferences and appropriateness of the pathways revealed that radio, demonstration gardens, fellow farmers, agricultural extension workers, places of worship and local council leaders are the preferred and appropriate pathways with the aggregate mean range between 3.67-4.22, suggesting high level of pathway and information accessibility, clarity, reliability, relevance, and simplicity of the pathways to farmers. On the other hand, pathways especially newspapers, brochures, and audiovisuals were perceived to be the least appropriate. Chi-square test revealed significant association between sex and demonstration gardens, agricultural exhibitions, Extension workers and local council leaders; age group was significantly associated with radio, agricultural exhibitions, while education level was significantly associated with brochures. Whereas men especially the adults >31years of age would be targeted through radio, local council leaders, agricultural extension workers and agricultural exhibitions, women would be targeted through practical oriented pathways such as demonstration gardens because they are largely involved in the harvesting practices of the EIFT resources. For better and effective dissemination of information on the importance, propagation, types and sources of planting materials, harvesting and management practices on EIFTs, an integration of appropriate mass media, print media, individual and group pathways would be important to reach the farmers with the appropriate message and through the most appropriate pathways. In this case, radio, places of worship and local council leaders would be the best for awareness creation, while fellow farmers, demonstration gardens, would play a significant role in persuading farmers to take up the information, build their skills in planting, caring, conserving and preserving the EIFTs as part of the extension pathways.