Background of the Study

Agricultural marketing depends heavily on the timely flow of accurate information because producers and marketers need to make decisions about pricing, demand, transportation, storage, and customer preferences. In poultry egg marketing, this becomes even more important since eggs are highly perishable and their market value can change quickly due to supply fluctuations, feed costs, transportation challenges, and consumer demand.

Agricultural Education Information Channels (AEIC) refer to the different media and interpersonal pathways through which agricultural knowledge and market information are transmitted to farmers and marketers. These channels may include extension agents, mobile phones, radio, television, social media, cooperative societies, trainings, newspapers, and peer networks. Recent evidence shows that mobile phones are among the most available and most used agricultural information channels among poultry stakeholders, while extension service presence is often weaker than expected. This suggests that modern communication tools are increasingly shaping how poultry farmers and marketers access and use information.

The marketing of poultry eggs requires constant access to relevant information on market price, source of feed ingredients, transport conditions, disease control, storage, and customer demand. Studies have shown that poultry stakeholders use information channels to obtain market-related and production-related guidance, which can improve efficiency and profitability. Where such information is accessible and properly utilized, marketers are better able to reduce losses, improve pricing decisions, and respond to market opportunities.

However, the effectiveness of these information channels is often limited by inadequate power supply, low extension contact, poor infrastructure, and uneven access to communication technologies. In many rural and semi-urban areas, information may also be delayed, fragmented, or not tailored to the needs of poultry egg marketers. As a result, some marketers continue to rely on informal sources that may not always be reliable or timely.

This study is therefore important because it examines how agricultural education information channels are used in poultry egg marketing and how these channels influence decision-making, profitability, and market efficiency. Understanding this utilization can help improve extension delivery, strengthen agricultural communication systems, and support better marketing outcomes for poultry stakeholders.

Statement of the Problem

Despite the importance of information in agricultural marketing, many poultry egg marketers still face difficulties in accessing timely, accurate, and useful market information. Inadequate access to reliable information can lead to poor pricing decisions, avoidable losses, reduced profitability, and inefficient marketing practices.

Although several agricultural information channels exist, their utilization is often uneven. For example, recent findings show that mobile phones are widely available and used, but extension agents are less pronounced as a source of information. This indicates a gap between the availability of agricultural education information channels and their actual effective use by poultry egg marketers.

Another problem is that some information channels are constrained by infrastructure challenges such as inconsistent power supply, which affects communication and the use of electronic media. In addition, marketers may not have equal access to modern channels such as social media or internet-based platforms, especially in rural areas.

There is also limited clarity on which agricultural education information channels are most useful, most trusted, and most frequently used in the marketing of poultry eggs. Without this knowledge, extension planners and agricultural educators may not be able to design communication strategies that truly meet the needs of poultry egg marketers