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Farmers’ Perception to Agricultural Information and Communication Centre

S. Rana
Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Khulshi, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh

M. Rahman
Senior Scientific Officer
Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), Chittagong, Bangladesh

S.M.M.A. Dipu
Lecturer
Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Khulshi, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The objectives of the study were to determine the farmers’ perception of the Agricultural Information and Communication Centre (AICC) and to explore the relationship between the selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their perception of AICC. The research was conducted in Rangunia and Mirsharai Upazilas under Chittagong district. Data were collected randomly by using a per-tested structured questionnaire from a total of eighty farmers of the study areas. Moreover, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) was conducted to more clear data. It was found that 15% of farmers had less favourable perceptions, 60% had moderately favourable perceptions and 25% of farmers had a highly favourable perception of AICC. The services of AICC were found effective in relation to improved technology dissemination for production efficiency. Farmer’s training received in agricultural issues and extension media contact has a positive and significant relationship with the perception of AICC.

Keywords: AICC, Farmers, Perception

Location: Rangunia and Mirshari Upazila under Chittagong district, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-09-2016

End Date: 00-01-2017

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Commodity: Knowledge, Information

Objectives:

The objectives of the study were as follows: a) To determine the farmers’ perception of AICC; b) To explore the relationship between the selected socio-economic characteristics and their perception of AICC.

Methodology:

Location of the Study: The study was conducted in those areas which have AICC. Rangunia and Mirshari Upazila under Chittagong district were selected as suitable area for this study. The villages namely nogorertila under Mariomnogor union at Rangunia and South Talbaria under Mirshari Pouro area were selected as the specific study location. Two AICC clubs were selected, one from Rangunia Upazila and another from Mirshari Upazila. Each club having 100 member farmers of which 40 farmers were selected as samples following a simple random sampling technique. Thus the total number of sample respondents was 80. Face-to-face interviewing by using a structured interview schedule was used to collect data and the entire process of data collection was done from September 2016 to January 2017. Data Processing and Analysis: The collected data were properly edited and coded before final analysis. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used for data management. Mainly descriptive techniques such as percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation and correlation were used in data interpretation. Measurement of Variables: Farmers perception to AICC was the focus variable of the study. For measuring the perception of the respondents, a 5 point Likert scale (Likert, 1932) was used. There were 10 statements including both positive and negative to avoid the biasness of the respondents. Each respondent was asked to indicate his extent of agreement or disagreement against each statement along a 5 point scale: strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree. Weights assigned to these responses were 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, respectively (Ullah et al,. 2011; Ghosh and Hasan, 2013). The total score of a respondent was determined by summing up the weights for responses against all 10 statements. Perception Score (PS) = 5xSA+4xA+3xU+2xDA+1xSDA. Where, SA= Total number of respondents expressing their attitude ‘strongly agree’ for the statement. A= Total number of respondents expressing their attitude ‘agree’ for the statement. U= Total number of respondents expressing their attitude ‘undecided’ for the statement. DA= Total number of respondents expressing their attitude ‘disagree’ for the statement. SDA= Total number of respondents expressing their attitude ‘strongly disagree’ for the statement. This formula was considered for positive statements; on the other hand scoring was reversed for negative statements. In case of negative statements strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree were assigned weight as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Thus, the perception score of a respondent would be ranged from 10 to 50.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education, Volume 30, No. 1, 2018: 73-81; ISSN 1011-3916

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Findings of the research indicated that the farmers had moderately to highly favorable perception towards Agricultural Information and Communication Centre. Selected farmers clubs of rural areas were developed as AICC through equipped with ICT tools and capacity building of some selected members. AICC found effective to enhance agricultural production through providing appropriate information including pest management, cultivation method, balanced fertilization etc. A few of the AICC members create income generation through started social service business by composing, printing, e-mailing and renting multimedia etc. Today’s farmers are now very potential. They require specific information and demand doorstep extension service. So, ICT tools, no doubt, is enhancing agricultural productivity and facilitating poverty alleviation among rural farmers. ICT facilities are increasing day by day in rural areas as well as remote areas. So, this is a great opportunity for extension service providers to reach farming community very easily through using these ICT tools. Different organizations have many efforts for enhancing ICT based agricultural extension services. Development of AICC by AIS, FIAC by NATP project, online fertilizer recommendations by SRDI, different Apps for SAAO of DAE and so many. Farmers need is much more diversified and the knowledge required to address them is beyond the capacity of the grass root level extension functionaries (Sharma, 2003). In view of the advancement of the technology and importance of communication, its swiftness in 21st century, it is necessary to explore the use of ICT based agricultural extension services as the important means for accelerating dissemination of farm information among the farmers. Farmer’s training received on agricultural issues and extension media contact has positive and significant relationship with their perception towards AICC.

Knowledge Management: Journal