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Assessment of Extension Information Needs among Smallholder Fish Farmers

Abstract

Smallholder fish farmers require timely and relevant information to make appropriate decisions concerning fish production, farm management, input use, disease prevention, feeding, marketing, and resource management. Agricultural extension services can provide technical information and advisory support that help fish farmers address production challenges and improve their aquaculture practices. Assessing the information needs of smallholder fish farmers is therefore important for ensuring that extension services respond effectively to their specific production requirements. This study will assess the extension information needs among smallholder fish farmers. It will identify the types of agricultural and aquaculture information required by fish farmers and examine the areas in which farmers experience information gaps. The study will also assess the extent to which existing extension services provide the information needed by smallholder fish farmers for effective production and farm management. The study will focus on farmers’ information needs relating to fish species selection, pond construction and management, stocking density, fish feeding, water quality management, fish health, disease prevention, breeding, harvesting, post-harvest handling, input procurement, record keeping, and fish marketing. It will also examine farmers’ preferred sources and channels of extension information, including extension agents, farmer groups, training programmes, radio, mobile phones, digital platforms, and fellow fish farmers. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from smallholder fish farmers using structured questionnaires and appropriate information-needs assessment instruments. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while correlation and regression analysis may be used to examine the relationship between selected factors and farmers’ extension information needs and access. The study is expected to reveal that smallholder fish farmers may have significant information needs in areas such as fish feeding, water quality management, disease prevention, stocking practices, fish health, and marketing. Farmers who have limited contact with extension agents or inadequate access to reliable information channels may experience greater information gaps. The findings may also identify preferred communication methods through which farmers can receive timely and practical aquaculture information. The study will be useful to fish farmers, agricultural and fisheries extension agents, aquaculture development agencies, government institutions, non-governmental organisations, policymakers, and researchers. It may provide useful information for designing demand-driven extension programmes, improving aquaculture training, strengthening information dissemination, and developing advisory services that address the practical needs of smallholder fish farmers. The study concludes that identifying the extension information needs of smallholder fish farmers is important for improving the relevance and effectiveness of aquaculture advisory services. It is therefore recommended that extension organisations regularly assess farmers’ information needs and strengthen training, field demonstrations, digital communication, and farm-based advisory services in key areas of fish production and marketing.

Keywords: Fish farmers, extension information needs, smallholder fish farming, aquaculture extension, agricultural extension, fish production, fish feeding, water quality, fish health, disease prevention, pond management, fish marketing, farmer training, aquaculture information, advisory services.