EFFECT OF SOME SELECTED INFORMATION MEDIA AS PERCEIVED BY THE FARMERS IN CULTIVATION OF HYBRID RICE OF ZAKIGONJ UPAZILA UNDER SYLHET DISTRICT

Abstract

The main purposes of the study were to have an understanding on the effect of information media as perceived by the farmers in cultivation of hybrid rice and to determine the relationship of the selected characteristics of the farmers with their effect of information media. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected farmers (out of 217) of five selected villages (Gororgram, Lafakuna, Uzirpur, Borchalia and Jamdohor) of Birosree union under Zakigonj upazilla of Sylhet district. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents during the month November, 2014. Coefficient of correlation (r) was used to explore relationship between the concerned variables. The most commonly used information media by the farmers were agricultural television programme, and agricultural radio programme. The information media use score ranged from 0 to 30 with an average of 3.73.The proportions of the farmers having no, low, medium and high effect of information media were 24, 65, 5 and 6 percent respectively. For different aspects of hybrid rice cultivation farmers mainly preferred neighbors, friends, relatives, progressive farmers and model farmers. Correlation analysis indicated that education, farm size, annual income, Cosmopoliteness, extension contact, extent of use of information media, training experience, innovativeness, agricultural knowledge of the farmers were positively correlated with their effect of information media in receiving information on hybrid rice cultivation. Again, age and farming experience were negatively correlated with their effect of information media. On the other hand family size and organizational participation of the respondents did not show any relationship with their effect of information media.