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Farmers' Communication with Extension Agents and Their Exposure to Mass Media for Technological Innovations

M. F. H. Khan
Graduate Student
Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

M. A. Zaman
Professor
Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A study was conducted to assess the farmers contact with extension agents and their exposure to mass media. The study was conducted in the village of Nizpara of Pirgacha Thana under Rangpur district in July-December 1999. Primary field data were collected using predesigned interview schedule from 105 randomly selected farmers from a total of 275 agricultural farming households. The educated farmers had higher personal contact with the extension agents and higher participation in-group meetings. Illiterate farmers have no participation in any category of extension agents. On an average 3% farmers have regular, 14% often, 14% seldom contact with the extension agents and 69% have no contact at all. About 11% farmers were observed to have often participation in thana level meeting, training and exhibition. The department of agricultural extension (DAE) uses a range of communication media including radio, video, posters, folk media, leaflets and technical bulletins to make sure that the rural households and extension staffs have maximum exposure to relevant information. The overall contact of the rural farmers with regular exposure to television, radio and newspapers were 14%, 6% and 3%, respectively. The motivational campaign should be continued to increase the participation of rural farmers in farm mechanization research and extension. Educated farmers were found to have greater exposure to mass media. Therefore, adult education for the farmers should he strengthened and spread all over the country in addition to existing formal compulsory free primary education programme.

Keywords: Extent of communication, Extension agents, Farmers’ exposure, Mass media for technological innovations, Illiterate Farmer

Location: Nizpara Village, Pirgacha Thana, Rangpur district, Bangladesh.

Start Date: 01-07-1999

End Date: 31-12-1999

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: ICT

Objectives:

To assess the present status and extent of communication of the farmers with the extension agents and the farmers’ exposure to mass media for technological innovations.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in the village of Nizpara of Pirgacha Thana under Rangpur district in July-December 1999. The village is located at a distance of 20 km from the district town. The village has 275 agricultural farming households. Primary field data were collected using predesigned interview schedule from 105 randomly selected farmers. The selected farmers were categorized in three groups on the basis of their education level such as (i) illiterate, (ii) below SSC, (iii) SSC and above. To assess the extent of communication of the farmers with the extension agents and the farmers’ exposure to mass media for technological innovations, four criteria have been set and a weightage was given to each criterion for Likert type analysis of the findings. Participation index (PI) against each criterion was computed using the following formula. PI = (P_np × 0) + (P_sp × 1) + (P_op × 2) + (P_rp × 3) where, P_np = Percentage of farmers with no communication at all; P_sp = Percentage of farmers with seldom communication; P_op = Percentage of farmers with often communication; Prp = Percentage of farmers with regular communication.

Source of Information: Progress. Agric. 11 (1 & 2) : 221-225, 2000; ISSN 1017-8139

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The educated farmers had higher personal contact with the extension agents and higher participation in-group meetings. Illiterate farmers have no participation in any category of extension agents. The overall contact of the rural farmers with regular exposure to television, radio and newspapers were below 14 percent. Educated farmers were found to have greater exposure to mass media. The motivational campaign should be strengthened to increase the contact of the rural farmers with extension agents through participation in group meetings at the village and thana level. Adult education for the farmers should be strengthened and spread all over the country in addition to existing formal compulsory free primary education programme to make them aware of the technological innovations would be available to them through extension agents and mass media. Participation in agricultural research and extension activities by the development agencies could contribute to the formation of favorable attitudes towards technological innovations. In order to improve the research and extension efficiencies and the farmers’ adoption of new technologies, linkage between policy makers, researchers, extension agents and the farmers should be improved.

Knowledge Management: Journal