FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING STRAWBERRY CULTIVATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of the farmers regarding strawberry cultivation and explore the contribution of the selected characteristics of the strawberry farmers on their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding strawberry cultivation. The selected characteristics were age, level of education, farm size, strawberry cultivation area, annual family income, income from strawberry cultivation, training exposure, extension contact, strawberry cultivation experience and problem faced in strawberry cultivation. Data were collected from 113 farmers from two villages of Yusufpur Union of Charghat Upazila under Rajshahi District by using a pretested interview schedule. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to examine the contribution of the selected characteristics of the strawberry farmers on their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding strawberry cultivation. Majority (54 percent) of the farmers possessed medium knowledge while 27.4 and 14.6 percent of the farmers possessed low and high knowledge respectively. In case of attitude, all most all (97.3 percent) of the respondents had favorable attitude towards strawberry cultivation and rest 1.8 percent and 0.9 percent of the respondents had neutral and unfavorable attitude towards strawberry cultivation. Regarding practice, majority (69.9 percent) of the strawberry farmers had medium practice, while 17.7 percent farmers had high practice and 12.4 percent farmers had low practice on strawberry cultivation. Stepwise multiple regressions exposed that attitude towards strawberry cultivation, practice on strawberry cultivation, strawberry cultivation area and extension contact of the strawberry farmers had significant contribution on knowledge on strawberry cultivation and which contribute 58.3 percent of the total variation. In case of attitude, stepwise multiple regressions exposed that knowledge on strawberry cultivation, Problem faced in strawberry cultivation, Strawberry cultivation experience, age, level of education and income from strawberry cultivation of the strawberry farmers had significant contribution on their attitude towards strawberry cultivation and which contribute 63.4 percent of the total variation. Regarding practice stepwise multiple regressions exposed that knowledge on strawberry cultivation of the strawberry farmers had significant contribution on their practice on strawberry cultivation and which contribute 28.3 percent of the total variation.