Social media keeps us connected and informed about all the different things happening around the world. Alot of information is passed on through these platforms that it would be necessary for farmers to engage with and learn more about the different aspect of the agricultural sector.
Mica Graybill wrote a paper about Exploring The Use Of Facebook As A Communication Tool In Agricultural Related Social Movements said that “With radio it took 38 years to reach a target audience of 50 million; with Facebook it took a mere two years,” (Hoffman, 2009, para. 1).
It is true farmer uses radio a lot to communicate to other farmers but the times have changed, new methods are here. Social Media while using platforms like Facebook pages, groups, profiles, events or Twitter. Farmers can use these two platforms to market and publicize their products. This kind of representation can be done using a farmer’s own style, interests, and creativity to pull a number of people to their business, relate and learn from other farmers through groups, pages and profiles.
The need for agricultural information has existed for thousands of years, farmers need get organised and start socializing and interacting with one another. Social media is not only a communicating and listening tool, but it is also used for educating and documenting.
It is already known that Social media platforms are a great source of inform and an education ground for consumers about important topics. Twitter, is one of those tools that has taught a number of people a lot of things on different topics.
Social networking sites need to be used by farmers to share happenings from and around the farm. Things that others can learn from. I want to be a farmer but if am to rare on social media as I do with all my other projects to get information, I will never start. There is no such information anywhere to guide beginners or even help with any farm problems.
You see with social media local farmers and specialty food producers have an opportunity to compete with larger farms around the country by just reading about what they are doing and learning from them. Agribusinesses should use social media to help connect rural farmers to co-operative extensions through social sites, online blogs and any other online sites that are flexible for them.
So agriculturalists need to embrace and engage in interaction with critics and consumers in order to make sure that the right side of the story of agriculture is being told; otherwise, doubters are going to go above and beyond to dig for facts, whether they are true or false.
With the Food safety problems around the world, social sites can help with providing information on what region has more food and can share with other regions. Plus I see and hear it being discussed among agriculturalists on Radio and Tv but not on social media.
We need this kind of information on blogs, on social media – online where everyone can access it. We need to get agric on social and now because it has become necessary and important.
What say you?