FARMERS’ SATISFACTION ON FISHERIES EXTENSION SERVICES

Abstract

The purposes of the study were to determine the extent of satisfaction on fisheries extension services in Bangladesh as perceived by the fish farmers and to find out the relationship of each of the selected characteristics of the fish farmers with their satisfaction on fisheries extension services in Bangladesh. The study was conducted in seven villages of Gopinathpur union under Badarganj upazila of Rangpur district. A total of 103 fish farmers were selected randomly from a population of 412 fish farmers. Data were collected from the fish farmers during January to February, 2020 by using an interview schedule. Farmers’ satisfaction on Fisheries extension service was the dependent variable. Nine selected characteristics of the fish farmers were considered for the study which might have relationship with their satisfaction on fisheries extension services. Overwhelming majority (95.1 percent) of the fish farmers had low to medium satisfaction on Fisheries extension services in Bangladesh. Co-relation analysis indicated that aquaculture farm area, annual income from aquaculture, daily time spend in aquaculture, aquaculture training exposure, extension media contact and innovativeness had significant positive relationship with their satisfaction on fisheries extension services. But age, level of education and aquaculture experience had no-significant relationship with their Fisheries extension services. Base on the findings of the study, it is recommended that as the largest public fisheries extension organization of Bangladesh, Department of Fisheries (DOF) should increase the number of Fisheries Extension Officer (FEO) like the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) to increase fisheries extension services at village level and at least 5% of the FEO should have higher degree in agriculture extension of perform better extension services.