Use of ICTs by Farmers: A Study in Odisha

Abstract

Harnessing advantages of Information and Communication Technology (hereafter to be mentioned as ICTs) for changing the face of agriculture, in terms of production and productivity and farmers’ wellbeing; calls for a separate set of knowledge, skill, ability and higher (if possible fullest) extent of use by the farming communities. There are physical, economic, logistic, perceptual as well as behavioural problem, experienced by the farmers in harnessing the advantages of ICTs. In this context the present study has been conducted in Khurda district of Odisha with the broad objective to enumerate the level of knowledge, skill and extent of use and perception of different ICTs among farmers those are actively engaged in agriculture and having access to at least one ICT. In the present study, being an original empirical research work, data were collected from 120 farmers of two Blocks of Khurda district of Odisha by pretested structured interview schedule. Blocks were selected randomly and respondents were selected by following the criteria of being engaged in agriculture actively as well as using at least one ICT tool. Statistical tools like, percentage, ranking, index value calculation, ranking, correlation, regression and step wise regression were used for fruitful analysis of collected data. The results of the study revealed that socio-economic orientation of the respondents was centring on semi-medium to poor level. The study also revealed that radio was ranked first by the respondents for getting market information while TV was ranked second. The study also revealed that respondents were having high perception about appropriateness of different ICTS, usefulness of different ICTs and also, they have perceived high level of constraints in using different ICTs. The study also revealed that independent variables like, age, education, family education, social participation, cosmopoliteness, land holding, visit outside own village, level of knowledge of devices, knowledge of service providers, extent of use of devices and extent of use of ICTs for different purposes had significant and positive correlation with many of the dependent variables like, level of knowledge of devices, level of knowledge of service providers, extent of use of devices, extent of use for different  purposes, appropriateness and usefulness. Further, results of multiple regression showed that, education, visit outside own village, level of knowledge of devices and extent of use of ICTs for different purposes had significant and positive association with the extent of use of ICT devices. Results of step-wise regression showed that, level of knowledge of devices, education, level of knowledge about service providers and extent of use of ICTs for different purposes had significant and positive association with the extents of use of ICT devices by the respondents and the model explained 68% of the total variance (Adjusted r2).