Reaching Sierra Leonean Farmers Through CATI

Agriculture in Sierra Leone is closely connected to how rural households earn, eat and plan. Farming is largely carried out on a small scale, with crop production forming the main agricultural activity across the country while livestock, fishing and other rural activities add to household livelihoods. For organizations studying these communities, a useful story is often found in the details: what farmers are able to produce, what they spend, how they sell, the support they receive and what changes from one season to the next. 

Telephone surveys (CATI) give researchers a way to collect these insights directly from agricultural households. Instead of relying only on a single field visit, interviewers can speak with farmers about their experiences at different points in a project or farming cycle. This can be valuable for monitoring and evaluation (M&E), baseline studies and impact assessments where researchers need to understand not just project activities, but what those activities mean for the people they are intended to reach.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

A telephone survey can help agricultural research teams look beyond production figures and ask questions about the realities behind them. Farmers can discuss access to inputs, farm labor, income, livestock, markets, agricultural services and the challenges affecting their households. Sierra Leone's own agricultural survey work covers many of these areas, including crops, livestock, farm income, labor, inputs, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry.

For M&E and baseline studies, telephone interviews can help organizations:

• Track changes in farmers' livelihoods
• Understand how agricultural support is being used
• Gather feedback from project participants
• Compare farmer experiences across locations

This is particularly useful when an agricultural project runs over several months or years. A farmer who receives new inputs, training, financing or other support may have a very different experience at the beginning of a project than several months later. Telephone surveys make those follow-up conversations easier to organize, helping researchers build a clearer picture of what is changing and where additional support may be needed.

Areas Where Telephone Surveys Can Support Agriculture Research

Sierra Leone's agricultural sector creates room for research beyond crop production. Studies can examine how households combine farming with livestock keeping, fishing or other activities, as well as how farmers manage costs, labor and income.

Telephone surveys can support:

• Farmer household research
• Agricultural baseline and endline studies
• Livelihood and income tracking
• Monitoring of agricultural interventions

At CATI Africa, we conduct telephone surveys that help organizations gather first-hand information from farmers and rural households in Sierra Leone. Our trained interviewers use structured questionnaires to capture clear responses while maintaining consistency across interviews, giving research teams useful data for agricultural programs, development projects, market studies and impact assessments.