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Farmers’ Attitudes Towards Rice Production in Selected Areas of Mymensingh District

Hurunnahar Khushi
Lecturer, Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Md. Moniruzzaman
Professor, Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

Nazia Tabassum
Professor, Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study attempted to examine farmers’ attitudes towards rice production and also to identify factors influencing the attitudes. A total of 100 rice producers were selected purposively from four unions of Phulpur Upazila under Mymensingh district. Data were collected from mid-September to mid-October 2017 through face to face interview method. Five point Likert scale was used to examine farmers’ attitudes towards rice production. A multiple regression model was used to examine whether there are influencing factors (socioeconomic characteristics) on the farmers’ attitudes towards rice production. By using the Likert scale, total score value for individual farmers was calculated and it was found that most of the farmers’ (98 percent) attitudes towards rice production were favored; and only 2 percent were un-favored attitudes towards rice production in the study area. Average score value for the individual statements were also estimated and found that score value was less than three for only three statements out of 20 statements, it also proved that most of the cases (85 per cent) farmer’s attitudes were favored towards rice production. The study found that level of education, occupation and farm size had significant influences on the farmers’ attitudes towards rice production.

Keywords: Farmers’ attitudes; Rice production; Mymensingh district; Likert scale

Location: Phulpur Upazila under Mymensingh district.

Start Date: 15-09-2017

End Date: 15-10-2017

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Attitude

Objectives:

An attempt has been taken to examine the farmers’ attitudes towards rice production and also examined which factors have influenced the farmers’ attitudes.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in selected areas of the Mymensingh district. Mymensingh was the largest amount of rice producing district in Bangladesh. It produced 5.12 percent of the total amount of rice (BBS, 2017). Four unions (Poyari, Rahimgonj, Tarakanda, and Rupashi) of Phulpurupazila under Mymensingh district were selected purposively for the study. The study was based on primary data which were collected during the period from mid-September to mid-October, 2017. Data were collected from 100 selected farmers' through personal interview method. The farmers were categorized into three groups; small (farm size up to 2.49 acre), medium (farm size 2.50 acre to 7.49 acres), and large (farm size above 7.49 acres) and the categories had 45, 40 and 15 farmers respectively and they were selected by using purposive sampling technique. All data were carefully checked for completeness and summarization. Descriptive type statistics (mean, standard deviation, and percentage) frequency tables, ranking, graphical analysis, etc. were used to examine the different attributes. Likert scale was used to measure farmers’ attitudes on rice production. To apply the Likert scale a series of items were compiled that expressed a wide range of attitudes, from extremely positive to extremely negative. Each item calls for checking one of five fixed alternative expressions such as “strongly agree”, “agree”, “neutral”, “disagree”, and “strongly disagree”. In this five point continuum, weights of 5,4,3,2,1 and 1,2,3,4,5 are assigned in case of positive and negative statements respectively. After that, a total score for each farmer is calculated by summing the value of each item that checked. Then the researchers determined a basis for the selection of items for the final scale. This can be done with item analysis. With item analysis, each item is subjected to a measurement of its ability to separate the highs from the lows. This is called the discriminative power (DP) of the item (Nachmias and Nachmias, 1992). DP = Q1 – Q2 Where, Q1 =range above the upper quartile Q2 = range below the lower quartile The DP value was computed for each of the scale items and those with the largest DP values are the items that best determinate among individuals expressing deferring attitudes toward the measured attitudes. In calculating the DP, at first, we determined the total score value of all scale items for each farmer and placed the scores in an array, usually from lowest to highest. Next, we compared the range above the upper quartile (Q1) with that below the lower quartile (Q2), and the DP value was calculated as the difference between the weighted means of the scores above Q1 and of those that fall below Q2 (Nachmias and Nachmias, 1992). A total of 100 farmers’ expression was checked for 23 scale items. And three scale items were excluded from the items based on Discriminative Power (DP) which were the smallest values. Then finally the 20 scale items were used for the analysis.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Economics, XXXIX 1&2 (2018): 61-71

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The findings of the study revealed that most of the farmers’ (98 per cent) attitudes towards rice production were favorable in the selected study area. So, when we see news in print and electronic media that farmers are very much dissatisfied with their rice production, this type of news may not be treated for the country as a whole. Weighted average score values for the individual statements were less than three for only three statements and greater than three for 17 statements out of 20 statements, which indicated that in most of the cases (85 per cent) farmers’ attitudes were favorable towards rice production. The study also found that farm size had negative influence on farmers’ attitudes. It revealed that small farm holders had more favorable condition towards rice cultivation than the large farm holders and it is a positive sign for rice cultivation as most of the farmers in Bangladesh are of small farm holders. The household head whose main occupation was farming had positive attitudes towards rice production rather than other. The study also implied that government’s rice procurement system was not helping rice producers properly as it carried the lowest average score value. So the government should be more conscious during the rice procurement system and other support services to the rice producers. Since this study was conducted in only one upazila and data were collected from 100 rice producers which was a very small part of the population, findings may vary according to space; for that reason findings of the study should be considered very carefully.

Knowledge Management: Journal