Shamba Shape Up Series 10: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Survey Report

"...viewing of SSU 10 has had a positive impact on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of farmers with the result that they have seen improvements in their yields, incomes and household food security."

This report details the findings of a knowledge, attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey of the 10th series of Shamba Shape Up (SSU), a television programme that is designed to improve the farming practices of small-scale farmers in East Africa. The objective of the survey was to measure the effectiveness of SSU's content in increasing knowledge and changing the attitudes and behaviours of small-scale farmers in relation to the range of topics dealt with in the series, which included livestock and agricultural practices, as well as nutrition and new cooking methods.

Produced by The Mediae Company, SSU has been running since 2012 and adopts an edutainment format based on "makeovers" filmed on smallholder farms across key agricultural locations. The aim of the series is to illustrate new methods and solutions and to give farmers advice to help them increase production and turn their farms into viable businesses. The series is broadcast on national television stations in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as on DSTV and a number of free-to-air digital channels.

The 10th series of SSU adapted its long-running format to incorporate its traditional SSU farmer-focused content with that of Shamba Chef so as to combine content around recommended farming practices with the consumption of nutritious foods and the use of clean, modern cooking practices. During each of the 25 episodes, the presenters and subject matter experts visited a family farm to demonstrate practical solutions to solve the farmers' problems and improve production practices and adaptations to the home.

SSU series 10 was broadcast nationally on Kenyan television channel CitizenTV between February and September 2020. The series covered 14 main topics over 25 episodes. (Click here to watch all the episodes.) Topics included animal feeds, conservation agriculture, insurance, modern cooking methods, management of fall armyworms, and sweet potato and avocado production. The results of the survey outlined in this report highlight changes in knowledge and attitude related to each of the topics covered in the programme.

The evaluation was conducted by independent consultancy GeoPoll and involved pre- and post-KAP surveys that were conducted February 4-8 2020 and September 24 to October 20. According to GeoPoll's Audience Measurement Survey, SSU 10 reached around two million viewers each week for each of the 25 weeks it was on air on Saturday (English) and around 2.2 million viewers on Sunday afternoons (Swahili). When asked, many viewers say they watch SSU with other people, bringing the estimate of total viewers for Kenya alone to a minimum of 6.8 million weekly viewers. Moreover, this co-viewing carried a further benefit, as it is known that co-viewing has greater impact on knowledge gain and influencing practice.

Findings also revealed the following:

• Nine in ten of the farmers who took part in the survey said that SSU was the TV programme they trusted the most to provide agricultural and farming information.
• Almost all viewers (96%) said they had learned something new from the series. The most recalled topics from SSU 10 were harvesting and storage (62%), potato/sweet potato farming (40%), and modern cooking appliances (38%).
• Behaviour change with respect to farming practices can be difficult to bring about, but almost all the farmers who viewed series 10 (93%) claimed to have made a change they attributed to the programme. As a result of the changes they made, almost two-thirds (63%) reported better yields and incomes.
• Television is found to be the most trusted source of agricultural information for farmers, replacing the more traditional sources of newspapers and agro-dealers. According to the report, this is almost certainly because of the visual power of the medium, featuring real and relatable farmers and their families and the reputation the series has built up over time.
• Viewers' knowledge about the value of good practice with regard to soil conservation and crop rotation was greater than that of non-viewers. (Maize remains the most important source of income for the farmers in the surveys, although many reported significant crop losses.)
• The uptake of crop and livestock insurance was very low (around one in ten) and was no different for viewers and non-viewers. However, the evidence suggests an interest in and appetite for more information on insurance in future series.
• There is a strong relationship between the amount of coverage of a topic in the series and increases in the key indicators. In particular, the report highlights the following specific practices that had improved as a result of watching SSU 10:
  • Use of improved/certified variety of seeds for crop planting;
  • Understanding of the benefits of proteins and supplements for cattle and better feeding practices;
  • Use of scientific practices for reducing grain losses;
  • Better awareness of detecting and dealing with fall armyworm;
  • Improved conservation practices;
  • Improved practices with respect to the sourcing of seeds, vines, and trees;
  • Evidence of moving from traditional planting times to using weather forecasts;
  • Slight uptick in taking out insurance policies for crops and livestock; and
  • More positive attitudes towards using modern cooking methods.