Information needs and accessibility by fish farmers in the southern highlands of Tanzania
| Published date | 02 July 2018 |
| Pages | 209-225 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-08-2017-0070 |
| Date | 02 July 2018 |
| Author | Ronald Benard,Frankwell W. Dulle,Lamtane A. Hieromin |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Information needs and accessibility
by fish farmers in the southern
highlands of Tanzania
Ronald Benard
Department of Information Studies, Sokoine National Agricultural Library,
Morogoro, Tanzania
Frankwell W. Dulle
Department of Knowledge Management, Sokoine National Agricultural Library,
Morogoro, Tanzania, and
Lamtane A. Hieromin
Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paperis to assess the information needs and accessibility for fish farmersin
the Southernhigh lands of Tanzania.
Design/methodology/approach –Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Semi-
structured interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 240 fish farmers in six
selected districts from three regionsin Southern high lands of Tanzania. Focus groups and key informants’
interviewswere also used to collect qualitative data from 54 fish farmersin the selected districts.
Findings –Findings indicated that fish farmers highly needed information related to water treatment
(management),spawning operations and fish preservation and processing. However,it was found that access
to these categoriesof information was very low. In addition, findings indicatedthat age, education and income
have a statistical significantand positive relationship with farmer’s information accessibilityat p<0.05. On
the other hand, age, amount of fish harvested, education and farming experience had statistical significant
and negativerelationship with farmer’s informationat p<0.05.
Originality/value –The study provides a deep understandingof information needs and accessibility for
fish farmers in the in Southernhigh lands of Tanzania, which will be assisting in in designing focused,need-
based and user-orientedinformation infrastructure in fish farming.
Keywords Information needs, Information, Fisheries, Fish farming, Information accessibility,
Agricultural information
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Aquaculture sector has increasingly become an important source of income, food security
and livelihoods for many people around the world. In Tanzania,aquaculture are among the
priority sectors in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP)
(URT, 2015). More than four million people are directly or indirectly involved in fisheries
and aquaculture related activities in the country (URT, 2015). In 2014 the fishery and
aquaculture sector contributed2.4 per cent to gross domestic product, and has been growing
at the rate of 5.5 per cent (Economic Survey Report, 2014). This percentage contribution to
gross domestic product is low consideringthe significant fisheries resources and large water
bodies present in the country.
Information
needs in
Tanzania
209
Received18 August 2017
Revised9 March 2018
Accepted9 April 2018
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.67 No. 4/5, 2018
pp. 209-225
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-08-2017-0070
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
The low contribution of aquaculturein Tanzania, particularly in the Southern highlands
regions has been attributed to lack of reliable and adequate agricultural information on
aquaculture, lack of access to finance and creditfacilities, and lack of access to aquaculture
inputs (URT, 2015). It is also attributedto limited ability to manage and control aquaculture
resources including fish diseases surveillance, diagnosis, control and treatment, inadequate
aquaculture extension services, inadequate investment in aquaculture infrastructure and
facilities for processing and marketing of fish and fishery products and ineffective
management and sustainability of fisheriesresources (URT, 2012). These challenges can be
addressed through improved information accessibility to fish farmers. For fast growth of
fish farming, efficient flow of information to fish farmers is important, whether it is for
economic, technical, socio-cultural or legal aspects, is of significance to fish farming
activities. This importance is also stressed by Opara (2008) and Eucharia et al. (2016) who
pointed out that information in fish farming is very potential for increasing productivity. It
is a resource that must be acquired and used for the improvementof agricultural production,
and without suitable agricultural information, bad decisions are made (Duncombe and
Heeks, 2001). Thus, appropriatefarmers’decisions on fish farming practices can very much
be influenced by the availabilityand accessibility of relevant information.
Meitei and Devi (2009) placed the informationneeds of farmers in six categories:
(1) Field acquisition: Farmers want to know about the different types of schemes and
subsidies available and the purchasing of agricultural land.
(2) Agricultural inputs: Farmers need information about improved varieties of seeds,
as well as pesticides, agricultural implements, weather conditions, harvest and
post-harvest technology, etc.
(3) Agricultural technology: Farmers should be fed with information about innovative
technology suitable for their farming activities.
(4) Access to credit: Farmers need information about credit facilitates, terms of loans,
etc.
(5) Agricultural marketing: Farmers need information about marketing trends, the
price of different varieties of crops and fertilizer.
(6) Food technology: Farmers need information about post-harvest food technologies to
get optimum benefit from their crops.
Moreover, Ofuoku et al. (2008) and Ugboma(2010) reported that agricultural information on
fish farming may include ponds construction and management, breeds and spawning,
processing, storage and financing, disease control and treatment, fingerlings and credit
facilities A study conducted in Nigeria reported that the information needs of fish farmers
includes stocking operation, improvement of fingerling breed, feed formulation technique,
feeding operation,marketing information, spawning operation, preservationmethod (Ijatuyi
et al., 2016). When acquired and effectivelyused by the fish farmers, such information helps
to increase fish production and hence increased income and improved farmers’standard of
living.
Studies conducted by Rashid and Akanda (2015) in Bangladesh found that the
information needs of fish farmers ranged from fish fry collection and transportation, type
and amount of fish feed need to apply, fish pest and disease control, selecting appropriate
fish variety fish collection method and harvestingtime, to fish preservation and marketing.
Also, Samson (2006)and Okwu et al. (2011) revealed that fishfarmers need information in 11
areas of fisheries production which are modern fish capture methods, sales improvement,
cooperative societymanagement, preservation and smoking methods, marketing,marketing
GKMC
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