USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICTs) BY THE FARMERS IN RECEIVING AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by the farmers in receiving agricultural information and to explore the contribution of selected characteristics of respondents on their ICTs use in receiving agricultural information. The study was conducted in two villages namely Rampur & Madhabpur of Ghagutia union in Homna upazilla of comilla district. Data were collected from 110 farmers by using a pre-tested interview schedule during the period from 15 January to 15 March, 2015. Appropriate scales were developed to measure the variables of the study. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression (B) tests were used for analysis. The study revealed that about two third (64.5%) of the respondents’ had medium use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information compared to 13.6 % and 21.8 % having low and high use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information respectively. Education, farm size, annual family income, problem confronted in ICTs use and cosmopoliteness had significant contribution on their use of ICTs and provided 51.5 percent contribution to use of ICTs in receiving agricultural information.