UTILIZATION OF COMMUNICATION SOURCES BY THE WHEAT GROWERS OF SAMBA DISTRICT
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Date
2016
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Division of Extension Education, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu
Abstract
Communication plays a vital role in all social changes. Studies in India and global have pointed the need for an effective communication to enable new innovations as well as research results to reach the farmers fields without much time lag. To find out the utilization of communication sources for accessing agricultural information by the farmers, a study entitled “Utilization of communication sources by wheat growers of Samba district” was conducted. Based on systematic random sampling the selected 120 wheat growers from 12 randomly selected villages from two blocks of Samba district of J&K state were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The results showed that the mean age of the respondents was 57.04 years and mean education were 6.68 years. 53 per cent of the respondents were having marginal owned land holdings. 50 per cent of the respondents had irrigation availability and only 35 per cent of the respondents were practicing agriculture as their main occupation. Almost all the respondents (98%) had television. Print media in all its formats was found to be less important among the respondents. None of the respondent was aware about campaign. As far as utilization of personal localite source is concern 53 per cent have utilized relatives/ friends/ elders, in case of personal cosmopolite sources 66 per cent have utilized private input dealers, in case of personal cosmopolite channels method 33 per cent have utilized demonstrations, 31 per cent have utilize Kissan mela and in case of mass media 55 per cent utilized television for viewing agricultural programmes and 22 per cent of the respondents utilized newspapers. Linear regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting awareness, utilization and effectiveness of communication sources. The regression model revealed that education level (R2= 0.18), telephone connectivity (R2= 0.215) and irrigation availability (0.245) were positively and significantly affecting the awareness of respondents about different communication sources. In case of utilization of communication sources, the variables affecting were education level (R2= 0.105), irrigation availability (R2= 0.137) and telephone connectivity (R2= 0.168). Education level (R2= 0.106), irrigation availability (R2= 0.16) and telephone connectivity (R2= 0.17) were significantly affecting the effectiveness of communication sources. The major constraints faced by the wheat growers were less sharing of information within farmers (80%), distant location of agricultural university (31%), activities conducted without publicity (64%) and illiteracy (29%).