ATTITUDE OF FARMERS TOWARDS MODERN JUTE CULTIVATION IN BALIAKANDI UPAZILLA UNDER RAJBARI DISTRICT

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to investigate the attitude of farmers towards modern jute cultivation, problem faced by the farmers and probable suggestion to overcome the problem. The research also explored the relationships of selected characteristics namely age, education, farm size, training received, credit availability, knowledge on jute cultivation, innovativeness, annual family income, fatalism and extension media contact of jute growers with their attitude towards modem jute cultivation. Baliakandi upazilla of Rajbari district was selected for the study. This upazi1la is consisted of 7 unions and Narua union was selected purposively for this research. There were 31 villages in Narua union and l 0 villages were selected randomly for the study. A total of l 002 jute farmers were in these I 0 villages. Among the total farmers I 00 jute farmers were selected as sample population with using proportionate random sampling method. Data were personally collected through interview schedule during 15 July to 14 August, 2007. The findings revealed that majority of the jute farmers (72 percent) had favourable to moderately favourable attitude towards modem jute cultivation. Attitude of the jute growers was ascertained through a 5 point Likert type scale. Coefficient of correlation (r) was computed to explore the relationships between jute grower's attitude and their selected characteristics. The literacy rate was higher than the national average, this attribute would give positive attitude towards the innovative agricultural technologies and also help extension providers to demonstrate, disseminate, train and motivate farmers to adopt appropriate technologies. In the present study, about 65 percent of the respondents showed medium to high innovativeness. The study reveals that only 37 percent jute growers access to receive training and 40 percent access to credit. There was inequality in annual family income and the large farmers had possessed the bulk of the income of the community. Lack of HYV seed, unavailability of seeds during sowing period, lack of credit during cultivation are the most serious problem of farmers for modem jute cultivation. Training received, knowledge on jute cultivation and fatalism had positive significant relationship and extension media contact had negative significant relationship with their attitude towards modem Jute cultivation. On the other hand Age, Education, Fann size, Annual income, Credit availability and Innovativeness had no relationship with their Attitude towards modern Jute Cultivation of the jute growers. The respondents appeared to be frustrated with lower demand of their produce (fibre) as well as constrained with shortage of cash resource to allocate in jute cultivation. The jute growers also opined that the selling price of jute should be remunerative, and the Government should fix the minimum purchase price at the primary market, to develop and create demand in side and outside the country with a long term planning.