Prioritization of Farmers’ Information Channels: A Case Study of Isfahan Province, Iran

Diversity, accessibility and reliability are the three main factors governing the adoption of information sources by farmers in rural areas. Based on the research hypothesis, the existing knowledge and information delivery system in the agricultural sector, functions far below the ever changing nature and tangible needs of existing farming systems. The main objective in this study is to determine and prioritize farmers’ information channels and their communication networks within rural areas of ۱۹ townships of Isfahan Province – the central part of Iran. After exploratory field visits of several villages, a questionnaire was designed and pre-tested for its validity and reliability (Alpha= ۸۲%). The statistical society included all farmers who had regular contacts with the local extension offices. The sample population was ۲۲۸ farmers who were selected through a two-step random sampling method from the villages with an extension office. The results showed that extension system disregarded farmers’ local media and did not meet their actual needs. The extension system failed to build trust among the local communities. Moreover, farmers’ trust in one information source had a synergic effect on the others. The sources were categorized in three groups based on the farmers’ preferences. The printed materials did not play any significant role in the knowledge and information processes. There was also a significant correlation between dependent variables (determination of information source by farmers) and the independent variables (for example: farming land size and farmers educational level). Finally, most farmers claimed that visiting ‘local extension service offices’ was mainly in response to their urgent needs to acquire subsidized agricultural input such as fertilizer, rather than acquisition of information and were yet disappointed.

Keywords:

IRAN , Agricultural extension , Farmers network , Information channel