Effectiveness of Mass Media in Dissemination of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices Among Crop Farmers in Taraba State, Nigeria

This study assessed the effectiveness of mass media in the dissemination of climate-smart agricultural practices among crop farmers in Taraba State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the climate-smart agricultural information disseminated to crop farmers through mass media, the information accessed and utilised by farmers, and the effectiveness of mass media channels in disseminating climate-smart agricultural practices. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 351 crop farmers in the study area. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and rating scales. The findings revealed that climate-smart agricultural information disseminated through mass media covered crop management, soil and water conservation, pest and disease management, climate information and risk management, as well as livelihood diversification. The most commonly disseminated practices included timely planting and harvesting (85.19%), small-scale livestock keeping (87.75%), off-farm income activities (82.34%), recommended fertiliser application (78.35%) and minimum/zero tillage (78.06%). The findings further showed that information on timely planting and harvesting (mean = 3.09), timely weeding (mean = 3.06), intercropping (mean = 3.01), small-scale livestock keeping (mean = 2.96) and mobile/radio weather services (mean = 2.93) recorded relatively high levels of utilisation. However, irrigation (mean = 2.38), agroforestry (mean = 2.42), rainwater harvesting (mean = 2.43), integrated pest management (mean = 2.44) and climate-smart training (mean = 2.28) recorded relatively low utilisation. In terms of effectiveness, Facebook (mean = 3.09), radio (mean = 3.05), WhatsApp (mean = 3.04) and television (mean = 2.99) were perceived as effective channels for disseminating climate-smart agricultural information, while newspapers, agricultural magazines and Twitter/X were relatively less effective. The study concluded that mass media plays an important role in disseminating and providing access to climate-smart agricultural information among crop farmers, although access to information does not always translate into its utilisation. The study recommends prioritising effective media channels, integrating mass media with agricultural extension services, increasing the frequency and local relevance of agricultural programmes, and promoting underutilised climate-smart agricultural practices through targeted information dissemination and practical demonstrations.