USE OF PRINTED MATERIALS BY THE FARMERS FOR RECEIVING AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION UNDER SADAR UPAZILA OF MOULVIBAZAR DISTRICT

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to determine the use of printed materials by the farmers for receiving agricultural information at Mostofapur union of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila under Moulvibazar district. The study also explored the relationship between eleven selected characteristics of the respondents and their use of printed materials for receiving agricultural information. The selected characteristics were: age, level of education, family size, farm size, annual income, training experience, extension media exposure, organizational participation, innovativeness, cosmopoliteness and agricultural knowledge. The total number of the printed material user farmers in those four villages was 340. About 33 percent of the farmers were selected as samples following simple random sampling method. In all 100 farmers were selected as sample for the present study. A reverse list of the 12 farmers was also prepared. Data were obtained from the 100 randomly selected respondents from the village of Baharmordon, Sampashi, Jjogotshi and Mostofapur during 20 September to 20 October 2014. Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine relationship between use of printed materials and sleeted characteristics of the farmers. The agricultural leaflet was used as the printed materials in receiving agricultural information to the highest extent. The findings also revealed that agricultural poster had the highest effectiveness as the printed materials for receiving agricultural information. Among the types of information, the farmers received agricultural information about cereal crops to the highest extent. Farmer’s farm size, annual income, level of education, innovativeness, cosmopoliteness, organizational participation, extension contact and agricultural knowledge were found to be significantly related with their use of printed materials in receiving agricultural information. However, age, family size and training experience of the farmers were not related significantly with their use of printed materials for getting agricultural information.