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Utilization of Icts in Agricultural Extension Services of Bangladesh

M. S. Islam
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh

M. E. Haque
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh

M. S. I. Afrad
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh

H. M. Abdullah
Department of Agroforestry and Environment, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh.

M. Z. Hoque*
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become the most influential means of disseminating information required by the people globally. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress to effectively start using ICT for agricultural extension services. Therefore, the present study was carried out to explore the extent of ICT's utilization by the field level extension personnel under agricultural extension service delivery system. A sample of 110 Sub Assistant Agriculture Officers (SAAOs), were selected as respondents from five upazilas of Manikganj district of Bangladesh following proportionate random sampling technique. Data were collected through face to face interview, case study and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methods. Utilization level of ICTs was measured considering two aspects i) collecting information and ii) providing services. Statistics like range, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square and correlation analysis were used. Findings revealed that a total of 52.7 percent and 97.27 percent respondents used mobile phone regularly for collecting information and providing services, respectively. Considering the two perspectives, ICT was the most utilized for collecting information followed by providing service by the respondents. Among different ICT tools, mobile phone was highly used by the respondents both for official (93.64%) and personal purpose (100%). Overall utilization of ICT was very low. Only 12.7 percent and 5.5 percent respondents highly utilized ICTs for collecting information and providing services respectively. A total of 48.2 percent and 79 percent respondents had low level of utilization of ICTs for collecting information and providing service respectively. Positive and significant relationship was found between training exposure, source of information use by the respondent, job satisfaction and perception on ICT, with their utilization of ICT in agricultural extension services. As the respondents are solely depending on mobile, so other modern mobile based technology could be easily acceptable for them and it could be a vital solution for proper utilization of ICT in agricultural extension service.

Keywords: SAAO; ICTs; Agricultural extension; Bangladesh.

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Resource Development and Management

Commodity: Information service, Extension

Objectives:

To address these needs, this paper uses a systematic literature review to explore the existing agricultural adaptation measures used to combat climatic stresses in coastal Bangladesh and how they build resilience. It investigates to what extent these adaptation measures build resilience in the coastal agricultural system and identifies major challenges that hinder the adaptation process, whilst documenting the available evidence. The review will provide inputs for pragmatic policy development for a robust climate-resilient agricultural system in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The systematic protocol of ‘Preferred Items for Systematic Review Recommendations’ (PRISMA) outlined in Moher et al., Pickering and Byrne and Pickering et al., were used to conduct a systematic literature review. This approach aimed to comprehensively synthesise, evaluate and track the scientific literature on a certain topic of interest. The method involved selecting and categorising papers according to the specific eligibility criteria in order to minimise the potential biases, which occur in a narrative review. A systematic review has higher accuracy, consistency and transparency if exclusion and inclusion criteria are strictly defined and followed. After fixing the topic, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were implemented according to the aims and objectives of the research.

2.1. Search Protocol and Selection Methods A total of 809 articles were initially obtained for possible inclusion from the 3 databases, and these papers were assessed using the four major steps for selecting articles for a systematic review, i.e., identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion. Articles were initially screened to ensure their relevance to the study’s aims and objectives. Then the inclusion/exclusion criteria presented in and used to assess the relevance of each article. After removing duplicated papers, we obtained 380 articles in the identification step. Then, in the screening step, 228 papers were excluded due to having an unrelated focus. Therefore, 152 papers were assessed for eligibility by studying their full text. In this eligibility step, 37 articles were excluded because the study area did not include coastal areas, and another 59 articles did not meet other eligibility criteria. In the final step, 44 papers were included, and after that, a snowball search was undertaken to include more articles and to find out if any relevant articles had been missed. A snowball search uses the reference list or citations in a paper to identify additional papers. Snowball sampling is an effective method for identifying sources published in obscure journals that may be missed from common databases, although potentially onerous because the sample grows at an exponential rate. In this study, articles cited within the set of articles were assessed for inclusion, with 10 found to meet the criteria. Therefore, finally, 54 full-text relevant articles were obtained and reviewed.

2.2. Review Limitation This study was focused on peer-reviewed articles in English. However, this means the study excluded work on adaptation published in other sources, such as non-scientific literature or in non-English journals. Another limitation was that the study considered only 3 databases to identify articles concerned with adaptation and resilience in coastal agriculture in Bangladesh. The inclusion of a different combination of databases may add further outcomes. The most obvious limitation of this study was that no inter-sectoral studies were found. This may be due to a lack of inter-sectoral studies, but the focus on agriculture may also have excluded studies where agriculture was not the primary focus. Analysis of inter-sectoral papers may inform unanticipated results and reveal more severe consequences of climate change. There was also a large gap in the knowledge of how sector-based policies and actions make it difficult to respond to the inter-sectoral impacts of climate change.

Source of Information: Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology 16(1): 1-11, 2017; Article no.AJAEES.31207 ISSN: 2320-7027

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.9734/AJAEES/2017/31207

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Agricultural extension service providers of Bangladesh are working as a catalyst to uplift the socio-economic condition of the agrarian people. Success of this noble profession is now becoming more challenging to keep pace with global changing trend. Globally, agricultural practices are fully going to be information-based and mechanized. However, findings of this study revealed that extension workers still lag behind adopting modern technology to disseminate latest information to the farmers. Extension workers are solely depending on mobile phone to collect and transfer information over phone calls only. They don’t have frequent access to mobile apps, video calling and internet browsing by the mobile phone. A very limited use was found in the case of modern ICTs like computer, internet, E-mail and Facebook. So, it is clear that extension workers are not receiving the latest farming information due to limited access in ICT tools. Similarly, farmers are being deprived of their required farming information. However, difference of ICT utilization among the extension workers was influenced by training exposure, service experiences, job satisfaction, perception and access to information sources. Therefore, extension service provider needs proper training and access to ICTs on immediate basis to ensure effective dissemination of farming information and technology to the farmers. Proper initiatives must be taken for arranging ICT based training programs for SAAOs giving emphasis on perception of modern ICT tools, their efficiency and effectiveness for disseminating agricultural information to the farmers.

Knowledge Management: Journal