Association Between Socio-Economic Characteristics and Information Seeking Behaviour of STRVs Growers of Odisha

Abstract

The study was conducted purposively in the state of Odisha with a view to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics of STRVs (Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties) growers and their overall information seeking behaviour. The sample size covered 210 respondents from 3 districts & response was obtained from each individual respondent with the help of a structured interview schedule pretested with 10 per cent samples other than the respondents of the study. The fi ndings of the study revealed that majority of the STRVs growers were middle-aged (53.82%) and 30.95 per cent had middle school education. The majority (50%) of respondents were having small land holding size, 29.05 per cent respondents were involved in Agriculture+ horticulture both, majority (45.24%) had 10 – 20 years of farming experience, 41.91 per cent of the respondents had annual income of Rs 50,001 to 1,00,000, majority (73.81%) had medium social participation and 59.05 per cent had medium extension participation. The detailed study of information seeking behaviour of the respondents showed that in case of Personal localite information sources own family members o ccupied the highest mean score 2.738 a nd ranked fi rst followed by neighbour farmers having mean score 2.728, in personal cosmopolite sources krishak sathi occupied the highest mean score 2.219 and ranked fi rst followed by VAW having mean score 2.133 and in case of impersonal cosmopolite mobile occupied the highest mean score 2.585 and ranked fi rst. Education, family type, family size, land holding, experience, annual income, social participation and extension participation had a positive and signifi cant association with the information seeking behaviour of respondents