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In July 2017, GeoPoll implemented a targeted survey in order to understand the impact of a series of interactive rural radio programs produced by Farm Radio International (FRI). The survey was conducted in the Bushenyi and Kasese districts of Uganda and sought to gain insight about best practices for banana cultivation. Listeners and non-listeners in the population were assessed, and the survey measured any differences in behavior change between them.

The Survey
FRI aired a series of educational radio programs in early 2016 covering best practices in banana cultivation, specifically in the Bushenyi and Kasese districts in Uganda. FRI then commissioned GeoPoll to locate its population of interest through SMS survey questions and collect data on farmers’ self-reported level of behavior change in order to assess the impact of the radio programs. GeoPoll implemented the assessment through the following steps:

  • Drawing upon its database of 11.3 million users in Uganda, GeoPoll utilized a targeted sampling technique to collect 300 responses from banana farmers in the two target districts.
  • GeoPoll established which respondents listened to Bushenyi FM Radio since 2016, as well as which of those who had heard FMI’s programming on banana production. It asked listeners and non-listeners questions on implementation of new banana farming practices.

A Quick Analysis
An analysis of the data found that many listeners and non-listeners had similar behaviors in adopting new banana farming techniques. One of the most positive findings was that 83 percent of those who listened to FRI’s program reported implementing practices promoted during that program. More than 95 percent who implemented those practices reported an improvement in banana productivity. Additional findings of interest include:

  • 68 percent of respondents listened to FRI’s specific programming of interest, highlighting its prevalence in the target population.
  • Radio is an important method of communicating information to the target population; when asked what the main source of information was for farmers who reported they had implemented new practices to improve banana cultivation productivity since 2016, “radio” was the top source of information for both those who had listened and not listened to the radio station in question.
  • Both listeners and non-listeners reported implementing new practices since 2016 at similar proportions (85 and 88 percent of respondents, respectively).
  • Both listeners and non-listeners reported equal rates of responding that they either “strongly agree” or “agree” to the statement “men and women should share productive and domestic tasks more equally” (92 and 91 percent when those two categories were combined, respectively).
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Impact Assessed
With the GeoPoll survey platform, FRI quickly assessed the impact of its programming from its target beneficiaries. For more details about the project as well as the final report visit at farmradio.org.

 

Image Credits: FRI