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Preferences of Ict Tools by the Upazila Agriculture Officers (uaos) for the Information Exchange in Bangladesh

Khondokar Humayun Kabir
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Debashis Roy
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The purpose of the study was to investigate the preferences of ICT tools by the Upazila Agricultural Officers, Bangladesh for the exchange of information. Data were collected using distributed questionnaires among the respondents. The findings showed that majority of the respondents (93.8%) had highly favorable attitude towards ICTs while 6.3% percent had moderately favorable attitude and there was no respondent had slightly favorable attitude towards ICTs. It also found that the highly preferred ICT tool by the UAOs is cell phone (1.76) and the second highly preferred tool is tab with the mean value 1.74, and on the other hand, internet (1.31) is the least preferred tools by the respondents. Correlation showed that age, job duration, personality characteristics, ambition and access to ICT tools showed significant relationship with the preferences of ICT tools by the UAOs. Challenges in using ICTs revealed that load shedding problem (2.21), lack of training facilities (2.19) and indifferences of farmers to get information through ICT (2.19) are the major challenges faced by the Upazila Agriculture Officers. Thus, it can be recommended that more ICT tools should be made available to the respondents with properly addressing the challenges so that they will be able to choose from various alternatives and also be able to gather and disseminate useful information to the farmers.

Keywords: ICT Tools, Preference, Upazila Agriculture Officer, Information Exchange

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Database Management

Objectives:

To determine the attitude of the UAOs towards ICTs;
To investigate the preferences of ICT tools by the UAOs; and
To explore the challenges faced by the UAOs in using ICT tools.

Methodology:

The study was carried out in Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The participants in the workshop on ‘Biotechnology with special emphasis on Bt. Brinjal’ organized by Department of Agricultural Extension Education, BAU were the respondents of this study. A sample of about 80 was selected randomly from the total participants (208), covering 38.46% of the participants of workshop and representing the all agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh. Data were collected through distributed questionnaire method and a structured questionnaire was designed based on related literature and objectives of the study. Validity of the instrument was ensured through a panel of experts in the Department of Agricultural Extension Education and extension professionals from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh.

Measurement of personality: Personality of the respondents was measured by using a four-point rating scale. Some personality characteristics viz. knowledgeable, ability to initiate, flexible, fearless, industrious, sincere and persevere were included in the scale. Weights of responses were: 3 for highly, 2 for moderately, 1 for low and 0 for not at all. The personality of a respondent was, therefore, determined by adding the total responses against 7 characteristics. The personality score could vary from 0 to 21, 0 indicating ‘no personality’ and 21 indicating ‘high personality’.

Collected data were tabulated, coded and assigned scores, wherever required in order to make them meaningful. Coded/scored data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage analysis, mean, standard deviation, rank order (whenever necessary) and Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was used to test the strength of association among variables.

Source of Information: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2015, Pages:59-65, DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.20150402.16

Article Link (Online Journal): http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/html/10.11648.j.aff.20150402.16.html

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

For easy, fast and cost effective means it is necessary to incorporate ICT tools in extension services for the exchange of useful information with the farmers. As the findings demonstrate favorable attitude towards ICT, it would be very much effective to disseminate useful agricultural information through different ICT tools and the extension personnel as well as the farmers could harvest maximum benefits out of it. The findings also indicate that cell phone and tab are the most preferred tools and thus, availability of these tools should be ensured. On the other hand, internet facilities should be available so that the respective stakeholders could make its better utilization in agricultural development activities. Load shedding problem, lack of training facilities, indifferences of farmers to get information through ICT are the major challenges faced in using ICT tools. Necessary efforts to overcome these challenges would ensure increased use of ICTs for agricultural activities. So, it can be mentioned that the authority could take necessary steps to provide infrastructural facilities such as constant electricity, ensure periodic training for both farmers and extension agents on the necessity and operation of ICTs, subsidize ICTs facilities and make available all networks in collaboration with the network providers.

Knowledge Management: Journal