Communication Dynamics between Agricultural Extension Agents and Farmers with Disabilities: The Socio-Economic Evidence

Several studies have been conducted in the area of extension service delivery and farmers with disabilities. There is, however, a lack of in-depth investigation conducted on the dynamics of communication between farmers with disabilities and agricultural extension agents, specifically in the Ghanaian context, limiting the development of targeted interventions and support mechanisms. This gap hinders the effective dissemination of vital information, resources, and assistance needed by farmers with disabilities to enhance their productivity, livelihoods, and overall well-being. Therefore, there is an urgent need for research to fill this gap and enhance inclusivity and support for farmers with disabilities in Ghana's agricultural extension services. The researcher conducted a nationwide study on farmers with disabilities in all sixteen regions of Ghana to acquire full and impartial knowledge of the issues of this group. The research employed a deductive approach, a quantitative methodology, a survey technique with a cross-sectional time horizon, and a positivist philosophy. The Ghana Statistical Service, GSS (2020) conducted an agricultural census in 2017/2018 and recorded 122,209 individuals as farmers with disabilities (FWD) from the sixteen regions of Ghana. These made up the study's population. Using the sample size formular by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), 386 respondents were determined. By requesting an exhaustive list of all farmers with disabilities from the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Agriculture in the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in each of Ghana's sixteen regions, the researcher was able to use the simple random sampling technique to choose the sample. To address important areas on issues of communication in extension services for farmers with disabilities, a well-designed survey instrument was established. The data collection tool underwent comprehensive validation from University of South Africa agricultural extension specialists. A group of knowledgeable enumerators and sign-language interpreters were tasked with collecting data from farmers who had speech disabilities for this study. Three enumerators, three sign language interpreters, and the researchers made up the crew. The enumerators were chosen based on their vast experience in delivering agricultural extension services, ability to interact in local languages, academic experience, and their previous interactions with the populations we were studying. We organized a three-day training session to help them familiarise with the questionnaire and the goals of the study. This was held before the data-gathering process. To make sure that every team member fully understood the questionnaire, researchers led this session. This meeting guaranteed the consistency of the data gathered and helped establish a common data collection methodology. With a three-month duration for data gathering, every one of Ghana's sixteen regions was thoroughly covered. The methodical strategy, which included baseline testing and focused training, ensured the validity of the study's conclusions as well as the reliability of the collected data. The statistical programme SPSS Version 28, intended for use by social scientists, was used to analyse the data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. In describing the communication between farmers with disabilities and extension agents, we used a five point likert scale, ranging from very poor (1), poor (2), average (3), good (4) to very good (5) to measure respondents’ opinion. We used frequency and percentage to summarise the results. In analysing the source of agricultural information for farmers with disabilities, we used frequency and percentage to analyse it. The factors influencing farmers with disabilities' communication with agricultural extension agents were examined using the one-way ANOVA test. The one-way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) test is a statistical method used to compare the means of three or more groups to determine if there are statistically significant differences between them. In the context of examining the factors influencing communication between farmers with disabilities and agricultural extension agents, the one-way ANOVA test was used to analyse whether there are significant differences in communication based on different factors. We first identified the factors that may influence communication between farmers with disabilities and agricultural extension agents. These factors were age, gender, education, type of disability, source disability, head of household, FBO membership, non-farm activity, and experience in farming (Gomda et al., 2021). Once the factors were identified, we categorised the respondents into different groups based on their communication experiences with extension agents. This data included information on the communication between farmers with disabilities and agricultural extension agents. With the data collected, we then used the one-way ANOVA test to analyse whether there are significant differences in communication between the different groups of farmers. The rationale for using the ANOVA test on the variables lies in its ability to assess whether there are statistically significant differences in means among three or more groups. In the context of analysing variables such as communication quality between Farmers with Disabilities (FWDs) and Agricultural Agents, the ANOVA test allowed us to determine if there are significant differences in ratings across the different categories (very poor, poor, average, good, and very good). The ANOVA test calculated an F-statistic, which compared the variation between groups to the variation within groups. If the F-statistic is greater than expected by chance, it indicates that there are significant differences in communication between the groups. Results show that extension officers are the primary source of information for farmers with disabilities (18%). The communication between FWDs and agricultural agents reveals a rather less than satisfactory experience (57%). Age, gender, type and source of disability, FBO membership, non-farm activity, and experience in farming all emerge as significant factors shaping communication dynamics between farmers with disabilities and extension agents. Extension officers should receive specialised training on inclusive communication strategies and disability awareness so that they will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively engage with FWDs, accommodate their diverse needs, and provide tailored assistance and information.