Communication behavior of development agents and end-users of rice, wheat, and maize technologies in Bara District, Nepal
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Date
1991
Authors
Padma Raj Ghimire
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Abstract
This study was conducted in Bara District, Nepal from October to December 1990. its major objectives were to ascertain socio-demographic attributes of development agents and end-users of rice, wheat, and maize technologies, to find out their communication media perceived credibility, preference and use for rice, wheat, and maize technologies and establish the relationships among the variables.
The respondents were all 48 development agents of the Agricultural Development Office, bara, Nepal, and 125 end-users who were selected through simple random sampling. Interview schedule was used to collect necessary data for this study. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings showed that the mean age of the development agents was 30.44 years. Their average years of formal schooling was at 11 years, service experience of eight myears and average annual income of Rs. 19406.00. They had attendance of four trainings.
The mean age of the end-users was 46 years, formal years of schooling at an average of six years, farming experience of 22, 15 and 8 years in rice, wheat, and maize farming, respectively; an average annual income of Rs. 60900.00 and an average of 5.25 hectare of land.
The development agents' and end-users' communication behavior for rice, wheat, and maize technoloogies more or less similar, i.e. both groups had high perceived credibility, preference, and use of farm and home visit, trainings and demonstrations for rice, wheat, and maize technologies.
Correlation analysis showed the following: (1) age and educational attainment of the development agents was significantly but negatively correlated to their communication behavior on personal letter and print materials for rice, wheat, and maize technologies, younger development agent with low education tend to use more these media; (2) age of the end-users was significantly but negatively related to their communication behavior on personal letter, training, print materials and radio for rice, wheat, and maize technologies utilization. Younger end-users tend to have high communication behavior on these media than older ones; (3) educational attainment of the end-users was positively and significantly related with their communication behavior on personal letter, training, and print material for rice, wheat, and maize technology utilization. The end-users with high level of education had high communication behavior on said media; (4) farming epxerience of the end-users was significantly but negatively related with their communication behavior on personal letter for wheat and maize technologies utilization. The end-users with less farming experience had high communication behavior on personal letter than the older ones because the older end-users may not be literate.