FARMERS’ TELEVIEWING BEHAVIOUR AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FARM BROADCASTS IN ANDHRA PRADESH – A CRITICAL STUDY
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Date
2021-12-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur
Abstract
In India, two third of the population depend on agriculture and one fourth of
countries GDP is contributed by agriculture. But, it is very upsetting to note the
insufficient coverage of agriculture in media including print and electronic which is
even less than two percent. This is probably because of the non-lucrative nature of
farm information to the media organizers. In the present context of increasing
importance of mass media for communication of farm information, what is expected
is that an appropriate content, process, structure and system that are to be
pragmatically developed. For that purpose, a detailed study on farm information
communicated through Television with special reference to the nature and extent of
farm information telecasted through mass media with their basis giving consideration
for clients‟ needs for the farm information, extent of credibility of farm information
from scientific and users‟ point of view, different factors there off and so on; are of
immense importance.
An ex-post facto and experimental research designs were followed to study the
televiewing Behaviour of farmers, effectiveness of farm broadcasts and gain in
knowledge after exposure to farm broadcast programmes. The study was conducted in
four districts viz. West Godavari, Srikakulam, Guntur and Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh
during the year 2014 – 2019. In addition to this, analyzed the content of two popular
farm broadcast programmes namely Pasidi Pantalu and Annadata. Two mandals from
each district was selected, comprising a total of eight mandals viz. Yelamanchili,
Mogalthur (West Godavari), Amadalavalasa, Etcherla (Srikakulam), Maddikera,
C.Belagal (Kurnool), Tsundur, Duggirala (Guntur). Two villages from each mandal
was selected randomly for the study viz. Gumparru, Kaza (Yelamnchili), Mogalthur,
K.P.Palem (Mogalthur), Nimmathorlavada, Ravikantipeta (Amadalavalasa),
Kongaram, Nandigam (Etcherla), Edlapalle, Valiveru (Tsundur), Tummapudi,
Duggirala (Duggirala), Maddikera, Edavali (Maddikera), Kothakota, Brahmanadoddi
(C.Belagal). A total of 15 televiewing farmers were selected randomly thus comprises
a total sample of 240.
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One village from each selected district was chosen randomly for control group
viz. Mutyalapalle (West Godavari district), Kondapuram (Kurnool district),
Munnangivaripalem (Guntur district) and Ajjaram (Srikakulam district). Fifteen
farmers were selected from each control village thus making a sample of 60. The
farmers response was collected by using a well structured and pre-tested interview
schedule. The data analysis was conducted by using various statistical tools like
frequency, percentage correlation coefficient, regression analysis, t – test, multiple
linear regression and ranking. After analysis it was found that majority of televiewing
farmers were middle aged (44.58%), having primary education (22.08%), with
marginal farm size (26.70%), high farming experience (50.84%), medium level socioeconomic status (54.17%), medium innovativeness (40.42%), medium mass media
exposure (52.92%), medium marketing orientation (39.17%), medium risk orientation
(44.17%), medium economic orientation (55.42%), medium scientific orientation
(55.83%), medium extension contact (60.84%), low annual income (39.17%),
medium social participation (47.92%), medium cropping intensity (57.50%), medium
training exposure (45.84%). The detailed analysis of dependent variables revealed that
more than half of the televiewing farmers (53.75%) had medium televiewing
behaviour followed by those with low (27.08%) and high (19.17%) level of
televiewing behaviour. Majority of the televiewing farmers (46.25%) had medium
level of effectiveness, followed by low (28.75%) and high (25.00%) levels of
effectiveness. After exposure to farm broadcast programme on rice production
technology in experimental group, the mean difference score was 7.12 and in control
group it was 1.04 only. It clearly indicated that there is a significant improvement in
gain knowledge after exposure to farm broadcast programme.
The profile characteristics of televiewing farmers namely education, farming
experience, socio-economic status, innovativeness, mass media exposure, marketing
orientation, risk orientation, economic orientation, scientific orientation, extension
contact, social participation and training exposure had significant relationship with
televiewing behaviour. Whereas, the profile characteristics such as age, farm size,
annual income and cropping intensity did not show any significant relationship with
televiewing Behaviour of the farmers. The MLR analysis revealed that the selected
sixteen profile characteristics put together, explained about 80.05 per cent variation in
the televiewing Behaviour of the farmers. Remaining 19.95 per cent is due to the
extraneous profile characteristics which were away from the present study.
Out of sixteen profile characteristics, thirteen of them such as age, education,
farming experience, socio-economic status, innovativeness, mass media exposure,
marketing orientation, risk orientation, economic orientation, scientific orientation,
extension contact, social participation and training exposure of televiewing farmers
had significant relationship with effectiveness of farm broadcasts. The other profile
characteristics such as farm size, annual income and cropping intensity did not show
any relationship with effectiveness of farm broadcasts. The MLR analysis found that
all the 16 profile characteristics put together, explained about 78.64 per cent variation
in the effectiveness of farm broadcasts. Remaining 21.36 per cent is due to the
extraneous characteristics which were not considered under study.
Out of sixteen selected profile characteristics, thirteen profile characteristics of
televiewing farmers such as education, farming experience, socio-economic status,
innovativeness, mass media exposure, marketing orientation, risk orientation,
economic orientation, scientific orientation, extension contact, social participation,
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cropping intensity and training exposure had significant relationship with gain in
knowledge. The other profile characteristics namely age, farm size and annual income
did not show any relationship with gain in knowledge of the televiewing farmers. The
MLR analysis found that all the sixteen profile characteristics put together, explained
about 55.23 per cent variation in the gain in knowledge of farmers. Remaining 44.77
per cent is due to the extraneous effects of the profile characteristics which were away
from the present study.
The content analysis of selected farm broadcast programmes viz., Pasidi
Pantalu and Annadata indicated that, in „Pasidi Pantalu‟ programme more emphasis
was given to agriculture enterprise (33.21%), dairy and other animal husbandry
practices (17.77%), research stations (42.48%), general package of practices
(18.00%), highest time was allotted to agriculture enterprise (33.21%) and straight
talk mode (71.41%). Whereas, in case of „Annadata‟ programme the main emphasis
was given to horticulture enterprise (42.71%), fruit and orchard crops (18.41%),
research stations (40.70%), plant protection aspects (29.65%), highest time was
allotted to horticulture (42.71%) and straight talk mode (98.09%).
Through constraint analysis it was found that, the most important constraints
encountered by the televiewing farmers were: frequent interruption in electricity
supply, too much repetition of the programmes, usage of old video footage, lack of
attention to upload important programmes in social media for further reference, poor
quality of visuals and sound, lack of information about experts for further
consultation, low level of education creating problems in understanding advanced
technical information, lack of reinforce effect of farm broadcasts on farmers, lack of
cooperation from other family members to watch the farm broadcast programmes,
lack of emphasis to the local dialect/ colloquial language, less emphasis given to
Phone in programmes to get solutions to farmers problems directly from experts,
orientation of speakers to script reading rather than talking, lack of visual effects for
difficult concepts, introduction of the topic is not catchy to raise the farmers interest,
lack of summarization of salient points in the end of the programme, less coverage to
government policies and schemes, no coverage about source of input availability
related information, less emphasis to market intelligence related information, less
coverage to success stories of adoptable technologies, non inclusion of cost and
benefit aspects.
Suggestions made by the televiewing farmers to overcome the constraints
were : Avoiding too much repetition of the programmes and usage of old video
footage, providing information on source of input availability, more emphasis on
programmes of government schemes and subsidies, training the technical experts to
improve their script preparation and presentation related skills, broadcasting of
programmes related to market intelligence, broadcasting the programmes on post
harvest management and value addition related information, publishing the
programme schedule in all the major news papers well in advance for wider publicity
among farmers, increasing the number of programmes on organic farming and
certification, giving priority to latest visuals, visual effects and sound effects in the
programmes for increasing farmers interest, focusing on demonstration mode of
presentation to improve the skills of farmers, incorporation of cost benefit related
information for creating interest among farmers, use of more local experts or
progressive farmers / farm women, strictly adhering to seasonality in the programmes
broadcasts, incorporation of the visuals of pest and disease symptoms, announcing
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address and phone numbers of the experts at the beginning as well as after
completion of programme, giving emphasis on programmes related to rural and agrobased industries to attract youth in agriculture, uploading of information in social
media for further future reference, repeat important programmes at weekends,
avoiding too much usage of English words and technical terms, improving picture and
audio quality, dramatized presentation of farmers‟ field experiences and success
stories, broadcast phone – in live specific to different areas to solve local problems
and giving priority to programmes on latest technologies like terrace gardening,
kitchen gardening, hydroponics and aquaponics etc.
Description
FARMERS’ TELEVIEWING
BEHAVIOUR AND EFFECTIVENESS
OF FARM BROADCASTS IN
ANDHRA PRADESH
– A CRITICAL STUDY