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Use of Information and Communication Technologies by the Farmers in Receiving Agricultural Information

Mohammad Zamshed Alam
Department of Agricultural Extension and Information System, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Md. Ramiz Uddin
Department of Agricultural Extension and Information System, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The purposes of the study were to determine the extent of use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by the farmers in receiving agricultural information in Homna upazilla under comilla district and to explore the contribution of selected characteristics of respondents with their ICTs use in receiving agricultural information. The study was conducted in two villages namely Rampur & Madhabpur of Ghagutia union in Homna upazilla of comilla district. Data were collected from 110 farmers by using a pre-tested interview schedule during the period from 15 January to 15 March, 2015. Appropriate scales were developed to measure the variables of the study. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression (B) tests were used for analysis. The findings revealed that highest proportion (64.5%) of the respondents’ had medium use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information compared to 13.6 % and 21.8 % having low and high use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information respectively. Education, farm size, annual family income, problem confronted in ICTs use and cosmopoliteness had significant contribution to use of ICTs and provided 51.5 percent contribution to use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information. Findings helps to conclude that educated farmer having large farm size, high annual family income and cosmopoliteness who confronts less problems use more ICTs in their farming practices. All farmers should be encouraged to use ICTs therefore, the Department of Agricultural Extension should focus on personal characteristics of the farmer when motivate them to use more ICTs for getting agricultural information’s for better farming outcome.

Keywords: Farmers, Agricultural Information’s, ICTs

Location: Comilla district, Bangladesh

Start Date: 15-01-2015

End Date: 15-03-2015

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: ICT

Objectives:

To assess the extent of use of Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) by the farmers in receiving agricultural information,
To determine and describe the selected characteristics of the farmer,
To assess the contribution of farmers’ selected characteristics on their use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information’s.

Methodology:

Ghagutia union of Homna upazilla under Comilla district was selected purposively because the location had well communication facility. Cultural and language similarity with the researcher was also another consideration for the locale selection. The study area consists of 20 villages. Two villages were selected by following simple random sampling technique. These villages constituted the locale of the study. The names of the villages are Rampur and Madhabpur. The physical, social and cultural and heritage of this area were similar in many cases with other eastern areas of the country. The researcher himself with the cooperation of local leaders and concerned with Sub- Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) collected an updated list of all the farmers of the selected villages of respective union. The total number of farm families in these villages was 1230; where 668 farm family heads from Rampur village and 562 from madhabpur village under the union of Ghagutia constituted the population of the study. An update list of 1230 farmers was prepared with the help of Upazila Agricultural Officers of these localities. At the rate of 9% out of 1230 total population 110 farmers were selected randomly considering the Yamane’s (1967) formula. Thus, 110 farmers constituted the sample of the study for conducting interviews. Farmers were asked to furnish information about personal profile e.g. age, education, farm size, farming experience, annual income, organization participation, problem confronted by farmers in ICTs use, cosmopoliteness, innovativeness and use of ICTs. The nine selected characteristics of the respondent (namely age, education, farm size, farming experience, annual income, organization participation, problem confronted by farmers in ICTs use, cosmopoliteness, and innovativeness) constituted the independent variables of the study and usage of ICTs considered the dependent variables of the study. There were six question based upon different aspects and related to the issues of ICTs usage. Each respondents was asked to answer all the questions. Usages of ICTs referred to the frequency of ICTs material used by the farmers. In this study six ICT materials was used and the respondents were asked to answer how frequently they use those ICT materials. Responses could be frequently, occasionally, rarely and not at all. Score was assigned 3,2,1,0 for the response of frequently, occasionally, rarely and not at all respectively. Thus ICT score of a respondent could range from 0 to 24. Where 0 indicates no use of ICTs and 24 indicates highest use of ICTs. Thus the primary data were collected between 15 January to 15 March, 2015 through face to face interviews. Some related literature and empirical findings were also collected and reviewed from various secondary sources to support and supplements the results of this study. Last of all, collected data were edited and compiled in order to make suitable for analysis. Statistical treatments such as percent, mean, standard deviation, range and frequency was done. For determining the contribution of the selected characteristics of the farmer in their ICT use, multiple regression analysis was used. The contribution between the selected dependent and independent variables was determined by using multiple regressions co-efficient. Five percent and one percent level of probability were used in the present study.

Source of Information: Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 5, No. 1, April 2018 : 27-32.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Education, farm size and annual family income of the respondents had a significant contribution on their use of ICTs. Therefore, it may be concluded that, more the education, farm size and annual income more the use of ICTs by the farmers’. A problem confrontation by the farmers’ in using ICTs is a vital issue and it is also a significant contributing factor on the use of ICTs by the farmers’. The percentage of no problem, low problem, medium problem and high problem were 0%, 4.5%, 82.7% and 12.7 respectively. Therefore, it may be concluded that less problem in ICTs use of the farmer’s increase their ICTs use in receiving agricultural information.Majority (97.3 percent) of the respondents were medium to high cosmopolite and Cosmopoliteness was found to be a contributing character for the use of ICTs by the farmer. Therefore, it may also be concluded that more cosmopoliteness of the farmers’ increase their ICTs use in receiving agricultural information. DAE should take initiative and effective steps to strengthen extension services for all types of farmers so that farmers’ can get more facilities to use ICts in receiving agricultural information’s.

Knowledge Management: Journal