FARMERS’ USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES: A STUDY IN KESHABPUR, JASHORE

Abstract

The specific objective of the study was to determine the extent of use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by the farmers. Attempts were also made to determine twelve selected socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and their relationships with the extent use of ICT and to identify problems faced by the farmers in using ICT. The study was confined at Keshabpur upazila of Jashore district of Bangladesh. Data were collected using structured interview schedule from February 05 to March 05, 2018. Two unions of Keshabpur upazila were purposively selected for the study. The study was conducted randomly in two villages of Keshabpur and Sagardari union. The total households of these villages were 431 and from each household one farmer was considered for interview. Thus, 107 respondents (25% of the population) were selected for the interview by using proportionate random sampling technique. Pearson‟s correlation co-efficient (r) was used to determine the relationships between the selected socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and their extent use of ICT. The study revealed that highest proportion (37.4 percent) of the farmers had low use of ICT in receiving agricultural information contrasted with 32.7 and 29.9 percent having medium use and high use. Among twelve characteristics farmers‟ age, farming experience and problem faced in using ICT in agriculture showed significant and negative relationships with the extent use of ICT. Farmers‟ education, annual family income, agricultural knowledge, innovativeness and cosmopoliteness showed positive and significant trend. The other characteristics viz. family size, effective farm size, agricultural training and organizational participation did not show any significant relationship with farmers‟ use of ICT.