FARMERS’ AWARENESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION CAUSED BY THE HARMFUL EFFECT OF MODERN RICE CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the farmers' awareness on environmental degradation caused by the harmful effect of modern rice cultivation technologies and also to explore the relationships between eleven selected characteristics of the farmers and their awareness. Hundred farmers of the selected two villages Daudpur and Noikhai of Mogla Bazar union & another two villages Khalpar and Gopshahar of Mollargaon union of South Surma upazilla under Sylhet district constituted the sample of the study. Data were collected interviewing the farmers using personal interview schedule. Data were collected during the period from 19 September to 19 October, 2015. Among these hundred respondents 15% had low, 66% respondents had medium and 19% of the respondent had high knowledge about modern rice cultivation technologies. While 20% respondents had low, 50% respondents had medium and 30 % had high use of modern technology by the farmers in rice cultivation. Among the respondents 2% had poor, 88% respondents had medium and only 10% had high awareness about environmental degradation caused by the use of modern rice cultivation technologies. Out of eleven independent variables, three of them, that is academic qualification, annual family income and modern technology used by the farmers in rice cultivation had positive significant relationships with their awareness on environmental degradation caused by the harmful effect of modern rice cultivation technologies. Eight independent variable i.e. gender, age, family size, farm size, organizational participation, communication exposure, innovativeness and knowledge about modern rice cultivation technology had no significant relationship with their awareness on environmental degradation caused by the harmful effect of modern rice cultivation technologies.