Reception of Agricultural Information by Farmer’s Media in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

    This study was conducted to investigate: 1) socio economic attributes of farmers in Chiang Mai province; 2) behavior on agricultural information perception through various media of the farmers; 3) perceptions of information through media of the farmers; 4) factors related to agricultural information perception of the farmers; and 5) problems encountered and suggestions about agricultural information perception of the farmers. A set of questionnaires was used for data collection administered with a sample group of 400 farmers.

     Results of the study revealed that most of the respondents were male, 31-40 years old, married, and elementary school graduates and below. They had 1-2 household members and 1-2 agricultural workforce. The respondents had 1-5 rai of land holding per household. They had 1-10 years of experience in agricultural occupation and 1-2 times of agricultural training per year. Agricultural personnel visited or contacted them 1-2 time a year. The respondents perceived agricultural information from media person through meeting/lecture about crop husbandry. They perceived it through newspaper 1-5 times per month. Regarding online media, most of the respondents perceived crop production through Youtube. As a whole, the respondents had a moderate level of the perception related to a proper content and agricultural information based on 6 aspects. This included: media person (government official), television, media person (private personnel), online media, radio and printed media, respectively.

    The following had relationships with agricultural information perception of the respondents: educational attainment (sig = 0.000), media person (sig = 0.001), marital status (sig = 0.002), agricultural area size (sig = 0.0015), and frequency of perception (sig = 0.0016). Other variables had no significant relationship with 95% reliability. The following were problems encountered in the perception of agricultural information: printed media – a low level of literacy; the respondents residential areas had few printed media service places; the respondents did not know a certain schedule agricultural program of the television; radio reception was often interrupted; and the internet service area there; there may be restrictions on cell towers in some areas there. For suggestions: both public and private sectors should truly support the farmers in terms of the agricultural information perception through the television and radio.