K. Pradhan1, Avishek Saha2, Biman Maity2* and Keshav Ram3
Department of Agricultural Extension, Uttar BangaKrishiViswavidyalaya,
Pundibari, Coochbehar
Email: avishek.extesion.2014@gmail.com
Received-11.05.2020, Revised-30.05.2020
Abstract: We are now living in the age of information where accessing and utilizing appropriate information source play crucial role in determining the success of any human activity. Agriculture of today has also become very time-critical and information-intense. Hence, the utilization potential of any information source to cater to the information needs of the farmers in various aspects would determine its usefulness to the farming community. With this background, the present research work has been conducted in order to assess the utilization potential of the existing information sources in the study area and thereby identify the factors influencing the utilization potential of the information sources. In the present study, utilization potential of the information sources has been conceptualized as the predicted variable and the nineteen other attributes associated with the farmers has been considered as the predictor variables. The study has been carried out in three villages of Coochbehar-I and two villages of Coochbehar-II block of Coochbehar district in West Bengal. Purposive as well as multistage sampling and random sampling procedures were followed in selecting hundred numbers of respondents. The data were collected with the help of structured questionnaire through personal interview method. The major statistical tools like correlation co-efficient and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The important findings of the study are that the timeliness of the information sources has positive association with the utilization potential whereas the usefulness of the multiple sources of agricultural information ultimately reduces the utilization potential of individual information source. Farmers have also admitted that the agricultural information sources available in the study area have medium level of potential to cater to their information needs. Therefore, there is a scope to further improvement of those information sources for effective and efficient dissemination of appropriate information for sustainable agricultural development.
Keywords: Information source, information-intense, utilization potential, sustainable agricultural development
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