A Multivariate Analysis of Diversified Factors on the Living Standard of Farmers in Bangladesh (Published)
For effective management of agricultural policies, the determination of cur-rent status and impact of multiple factors on the livelihood of farmers is very important. In present study, multivariate technique analysis, Defriended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were used to visualize the impact and estimate the influence of these factors on the earning of farmers. Therefore, 400 farmers were selected from 20 villages in Sundry district of Northern Part in Bangladesh. The results indicated that four major clusters of villages on the basis of the information collected during the survey. CCA indicates that farmers having middle age with above secondary school education, medium landholding and obtaining information using computer, audio visual aids, wall chalking and television are highly associated with high income of farming communities. Cultivation of major crops encircles wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, maize, significantly improving the living standard of the farming community rather than fruits and vegetables. Hence, it is recommended that all stakeholders, electronic media especially agricultural department and television should effectively perform their role with innovative strategies regarding agricultural crops to the educated middle age farmers for sustainable livelihood.
Keywords: Agricultural information, Bangladesh, ICTs, Sustainable Livelihood, farming community
Accessibility and Relevance of Extension Methods and Information and Communication Technologies among Farmers in Mauritius (Published)
The study aims to address the accessibility and relevance of different extension methods and information and communications technology (ICT) tools among farmers in Mauritius. A quota sample of 100 farmers was interviewed across the four extension zones of the island. The most efficient extension methods of farmers were firstly visits by extension officers (25.2%), followed by phone calls (19.8%) and video films (13.1%). The respondents claimed that training, short message service (sms), exhibitions and mass media were useful in providing beneficial information to them. Mobile phones were the main ICT device used by farmers (65%) to retrieve agricultural information. The access of smartphone (p= 0.009) and computer (p=0.001) was significantly associated with income rate. ICT needs to be integrated to agriculture to improve the livelihood of farmers. Extension methods such as visits, training and exhibitions should be intensified to allow accessibility to useful information. These extension methods should be reinforced to enhance agricultural productivity.
Keywords: Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural information, Extension methods, ICT tools
