Attitude Of Stakeholders Towards Information And Communication Technologies (icts) Based Extension Services

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P. GANESH KUMAR* AND R. RATNAKAR 

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kalikiri, Chittoor-517 234 Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad

ABSTRACT

Harnessing ICTs in agriculture received high priority which can be used vary widely in the promotion of agricultural technologies. With this technology revolution several ICT initiatives have been in operation in India. Study was formulated to measure the attitude of stakeholders towards ICT based extension services offered by e-sagu, e-choupal and VASAT ICT initiatives in Andhrapradesh. In this study Attitude was operationalised as the degree of positive or negative feeling of stakeholders i.e., farmers, extension services providers and ICT functionaries towards the information communication Technologies (ICTs) based extension services. Sample size of 150 farmers availing ICT extension services, 60 farmers availing non ICT extension services were selected randomly and 60 extension service providers and 15 ICT functionaries were selected purposively. Attitude of farmers and extension service providers towards ICT based extension was measured with the help of attitude scale developed for this study. The results indicated that vast majority (71.34%) of farmers had favourable attitude, where as 15.33 per cent has more favorable attitude towards ICT based extension services. More than half of (66.70%) extension service providers had favorable attitude towards ICT based extension services followed by more favourable (18.33%) and less favourable (15.00%) attitude. With regard to ICT functionaries only 40 per cent had favourable attitude and 33.33 per cent had less favourable attitude towards ICT extension service profession.

KEYWORDS:

ICT, Stakeholders, Information, Extension services.