Agricultural information needs and resources available to agriculturalists and farmers in a developing country with special reference to Lesotho

M.Inf.For centuries man has relied on agriculture to sustain human life. Farmers, as usual, were concerned with growing crops, vegetables and breeding domestic animals for transport, meat and milk supply. Success in farming, especially stock farming was a sign of wealth. Land area for cultivation of crops and pasture for livestock was ample. So, if land gets depleted and cannot meet the needs of all adequately, farmers moved to other parts of the land where soils were still fertile. So, agriculture and stock farming relied heavily on nomadic farmers to find fresh fertile soils. Specialized agricultural information which is prevalent today was not necessary. However, as the world population increased, land areas diminished and man’s migration stopped. Soils depletion of minerals had to be re-used and technology was developed to aid in improving the quality of the soils. Fertilizers, manure and irrigation were introduced as did pesticides and herbicides which assisted in improving the quality and quantity of agricultural output. Information is a powerful tool in addressing these agricultural needs and if it is used appropriately it could change a nation’s economy. The purpose of the research was to investigate agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers in Lesotho and resources that are available to satisfy these needs. Therefore, it will be argued that relevant and timely information has to be organized according to language and format understood by different categories of agriculturists and farmers. Agricultural information that might be useful to improve productivity should be appropriately disseminated to users who may benefit from the information. Specifically, the research project investigated different categories of agriculturists and farmers and their type of agricultural information needs. Resources that are available in Lesotho and in organizations were also investigated in order to identify those that could be utilized to meet agriculturists’ and farmers’ needs. In order to arrive at this, the researcher did a literature study on the status of agricultural information in the developed countries (DC), the less developed countries (LDC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). The project also looked at both the positive and negative factors that affect agricultural development in order to select which methods and resources could be adapted to address the needs of local agriculturists and farmers. The researcher used the interview method to collect data on agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers, as well as resources that are available to them in Lesotho. The purpose of the structured interview was to gather information related to the use of information sources, sources of agricultural information, document and information delivery and IT connectivity. The findings showed that farmers interviewed were spread evenly in agricultural farming of maize, sorghum, beans and vegetables; and stock farming of cattle, cows, piggery and poultry. iii Agriculturists indicated that the purpose for which agricultural information was needed included marketing of agricultural produce, research information and information for selfimprovement. Farmers on the other hand indicated that they needed agricultural information for advancement of primary production, community education, self-improvement and sustainable agriculture. Other major findings included concern for which pest control and sustainable agriculture. Current awareness services were also rated highly and publications were the method of dissemination that was preferred. Agricultural information that is cost-effective and appropriate was considered for purchase. In terms of acquisition and accession of information, results showed that most users preferred surface mail, as it is reliable and cheap, even though it is sometimes slow. Through it, bulky packages like books and journals could be sent