Abstract

To boost Guinean agriculture that is undermined by inadequate infrastructure, untimely or lack of information, inaccessibility to extension services and technologies, Bambou FM produced some agricultural programmes targeting rural farmers. This study investigated the listenership of these agricultural broadcasts by rural farmers. A two-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 143 rural farmers in Faranah prefecture, Guinea Conakry. Data were collected on respondents? listening pattern, perception about agricultural broadcasts and constraints to listening to agricultural information on Bambou FM. It also tested for relationships between rural farmers? perception, constraints and listenership of agricultural broadcast on Bambou Fm. Data were collected with the aid of interview schedule and analysed using frequency counts, percentages and PPMC at ?0.05. Majority (76.9%) always listened to agricultural broadcast on Bambou FM via mobile phones (59.4%), at home (58.7%) while 43.6% spent more than 3 hours daily listening. They frequently listened (86.7%) to agricultural broadcasts ?L?Emission Interactive des Producteurs? {EIP} with a high (54.5%) level of listenership. Perception of the agricultural broadcasts was favourable (56.6%) and irregular power supply (86.0%) was the major constraint limiting listenership of agricultural broadcasts on Bambou FM. Perception of the agricultural broadcast (r = 0.174) and constraints to listening and accessing information (r = 0.058) were significantly related to listenership of the broadcast. Conclusively, agricultural broadcasts on Bambou FM enjoyed wide listenership among rural farmers of Faranah prefecture, still sustainability is key, therefore, rural infrastructure need to be improved on by government while development communicators need to target listeners? primetime and avoid repetition.

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