KNOWLEDGE GAP IN THE USE OF SUGARCANE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AMONG THE FARMERS OF JHENAIDAH DISTRICT

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to describe some selected characteristics of the farmers; to determine the extent of knowledge gap in the use of sugarcane production technologies; to find out the contributing factors that affecting farmers knowledge gap in the use of sugarcane production technologies and to compare the severity among the problems faced by the farmers in sugarcane cultivation. The study was conducted in three selected villages under Kaliganj upazila. Data were collected from 97 sugarcane farmers by using an interview schedule during 5 th January and completed in 5 th February, 2020. Farmers’ knowledge gap in the use of sugarcane production technologies was the dependent variable and it was measured on the basis of knowledge gap scores. Multiple regression was used to examine the contribution of the selected characteristics of the farmers. The highest (45.36%) of the farmers had medium knowledge gap and (22.68%) of the farmers had high knowledge gap followed by (31.96%) low knowledge gap in the use of sugarcane production technologies. Four characteristics of the respondent’s viz. education, agricultural training, extension contact and problem faced in sugarcane cultivation of the respondents had significant contribution with their knowledge gap in use of sugarcane cultivation technologies. Among of them education, agricultural training, extension contact had negative significant contribution with their knowledge gap in use of sugarcane cultivation technologies but problem faced in sugarcane cultivation of the respondents had significant positive contribution with their knowledge gap in the use of sugarcane cultivation technologies. On the basis of PFI, it was observed that “lack of quality setts” ranked first followed by “low price of produced sugarcane” and “lack of subsidy” was the last problem.