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Potato Producers’ Attitudes Towards Cold Storage in Selected Areas of Bogura District

Md. Shishir Ahmed
Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Md. Moniruzzaman
Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Nazia Tabassum
Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Potato is an important vegetable for its commercial and nutritional value in the world as well as Bangladesh. The study was undertaken to examine producers’ attitudes towards cold storage and also to identify factors influencing the attitudes. Primary data were collected from purposively selected 50 potato producers from Shibgonj and Sadar upazila of Bogura district. The primary data were collected through direct face-to-face interview method with the help of pretested structured questionnaires during the month of November 2018. Five-point Likert scale had been used to collect data for measuring the producers’ attitudes towards cold storage. Multiple regression model was used to examine the factors influencing potato producers’ attitudes towards cold storage. By using the data from Likert scale, total score value for individual potato producers was calculated and it was found that most of the potato producers (68 percent) showed their disfavored attitudes towards cold storage and only 26 percent showed their favored attitudes in the study area. Average score value for the individual statements were also estimated and found that most of the score values were less than three, which means that most of the cases potato producers had showed their disfavored attitudes towards cold storage in the study area. The multiple regression model identified that age, farm size and status of storing potato in cold storage had significant influences on the potato producers? attitudes towards cold storage. Cold storage authority should take care all types of producers more with a congenial environment to improve the attitudes of the potato producers. Since, this study has been conducted in a small scale; the findings should be used carefully. This type of study can be conducted in a large-scale basis including traders who store potato in a cold storage to get insights into attitudes and for making generalization of the findings.

Keywords: Potato producers, Attitudes, Cold storage, Bogura district

Location: Bogura district, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Potato

Objectives:

To examine the potato producer’s attitudes towards cold storage and also to examine the factors influencing potato producer’s attitudes.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in selected areas of Bogura district. Bogura district is the leading zone in respect of cold storage plants installed and potato production in Bangladesh. Thirty-five cold storages were located in Bogura district. Fifty farmers who cultivated potatoes in the study area were selected purposively from Shibgonj and Sadar Upazila of Bogura district. Purposive sampling technique was followed classifying the potato growers according to their cultivated holdings into small (0.05- 2.49 acres), medium (2.50- 7.49 acres) and large (7.50 acres and above). Thirty-nine small farmers, 8 medium farmers and 3 large farmers were selected which comprised the sample of potato growers. The study was based on primary data which were collected from potato growers interviewed at their village homes in 2018. The collected data were checked and cross-checked for ensuring their reliability and adequacy and thereby to make them meaningful for the present study. All the collected data were summarized and scrutinized carefully and transferred in MS excel sheet. Likert scale was used to assess the potato producers’ attitude on cold storage. 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. The direction of weighting being determined by the favorableness or un-favorableness of the scale items used in the frame. After that a total score for each respondent 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 by applying 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, and 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, summation of the scored items for each respondent was made and placed the scores in an array, from lowest to highest. Then, the range was compared above the upper quartile (Q1) with that below the lower quartile (Q2), and the DP value is calculated as the difference between the weighted means of the scores above Q1 and of those that fall below Q2. Potato producers’ expression was checked for 20 scale items. The 5 scale items were excluded from the items on the basis of Discriminative Power (DP) which were the smallest values. Then finally the 15 scale items were used for the analysis. Here 20 statements (scale items) those were included in the interview schedule to check the response from potato-producing farmers for measuring attitudes. Item 12, 13, 14, 18 and, 20 are unfavorable items and rest of them (15 items) are favorable items.

Source of Information: J Bangladesh Agril Univ 19(2): 000–000, 2021; ISSN 1810-3030 (Print) 2408-8684 (Online)

Article Link (Online Journal): https://doi.org/10.5455/JBAU.62000

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

This study examined the potato producers’ attitudes towards cold storage in Bogura district. Most of the potato producers’ attitudes were not favored towards cold storage. Item wise analysis also indicated that most of the cases, producers were not favored towards cold storage. Producers agreed that storing potatoes in cold storage is not easy task, they don’t get enough space always, storing potatoes in cold storage is expensive, not easily accessible, and sometimes potato found not in a good condition, and cold storage authority earns more profit. These are established from the average score of the individual statements. Analysis showed that large farm holders had more favorable conditions towards cold storage than the small farm holders. So, cold storage authority should think about these issues. They should create more congenial environment with the all type of potato producers because they are the important stakeholders in connection with potato cold storage industry in Bangladesh.

Knowledge Management: Journal