Information seeking and information sharing behaviour of the vegetable growers of Ludhiana district

Abstract

sharing behaviour of vegetable growers and to determine the relationship of socio-personal characteristics of vegetable growers with their information seeking and information sharing behaviour. The data were collected by selecting 80 vegetable growers randomly. Findings of the study revealed that about one third of the respondents (33.75%) and nearly one fourth of the respondents (23.75%) had medium and high overall information seeking behaviour, respectively. Private dealers, friends, Kisan Mela and PAU scientists were emerged as the main sources of seeking information. The weed control, plant protection, recommended varieties and fertilizer applications were the major areas for seeking information regarding vegetable cultivation. Most of the respondents shared information with neighbours, friends, relatives and mode of sharing was verbal as stated by 100 per cent of the respondents. Nearly one third of the respondents possessed medium and high overall information sharing behaviour. The plant protection, weed control, marketing, seed treatment and recommended varieties were the main aspects to share the information. Education, operational land holding, land under vegetable cultivation, income, social participation, scientific orientation and mass media exposure were positively and significantly correlated with information seeking behaviour. Age, social participation and cosmopoliteness were positively and significantly correlated with information sharing behaviour. Thus it is suggested that farmers should seek information from reliable sources. They should be motivated to share the information among the other farmers who are engaged in vegetable cultivation.