USE OF COMMUNICATION MEDIA BY THE FARMERS IN RECEIVING INFORMATION ON WINTER VEGETABLE CULTIVATION

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to determine the extent of use of communication media by the farmers in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation in Chirirbandar upazila under Dinajpur district and to explore the relationships between the selected characteristics of the respondents and their use of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation. The study was conducted in two villages namely Shamnagar of Amarpur union and Raghunathpur of Bhiail union in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur district. Data were collected from I 00 farmers by using a pre-tested interview schedule during the period from October 15 to November 15, 2007. Appropriate scales were developed to measure the variables of the study. Correlation(s) test was used to ascertain the relationships between the concerned independent and dependent variables of the study. Findings of the study revealed that age and family size had no significant relationship with their use of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation while education, farm size, annual income, organizational participation, cosmopoliteness, innovativeness and knowledge on agriculture had significant positive relationship with their use of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation. The study revealed that (i) highest proportion (56 percent) of the respondents had medium use of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation compared to 23 and 21 percent having low use and high use of communication media respectively; (ii) highest proportion (57 percent) of the respondents had moderate effectiveness of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation compared to 21 and 22 percent having less effectiveness and high effectiveness of communication media respectively; (iii) highest proportion (66 percent) of the respondents had moderate credibility of communication media in receiving information on winter vegetable cultivation compared to 16 and 18 percent having less credibility and high credibility of communication media respectively.