Extension Guidelines for the Use of Social Media in Agricultural by Farmer in Na Klang District of Nong Bua Lamphu Province

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the extension guidelines for social media use in agriculture among farmers in Na Klang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. This research employed a survey design, with a study population of 11,674 registered farming households from the 2023/24 production year. A sample of 155 farmers was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula (0.08 margin of error) and selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using interview schedules and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that approximately 56.80% of farmers were female (average age: 52.75 years), with 38.70% having completed primary education. Their average agricultural income was 69,903.23 THB per year, and non-agricultural income averaged 50,000 THB per year. Farmers spent an average of 5,286.45 THB on mobile phones and 314.14 THB per month on internet costs. A significant 96.80% of farmers accessed social media via smartphones, with an average experience of 6.42 years, and the most active usage period was 06:00 AM – 09:00 AM, with an average daily usage time of 48.94 minutes. The most used agricultural social media platforms were LINE, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and websites, respectively. Farmers reported a moderate level of overall difficulty in using social media (mean = 3.01), with distractions being the most significant challenge. They strongly agreed with recommendations for using social media in agriculture (mean = 3.62), especially regarding agricultural content. The demand level for agricultural social media use was moderate (mean = 3.28), with YouTube, Facebook, and LINE being the most preferred platforms, and preferred content formats included video clips, images, and descriptive text content. Approximately 46.50% of farmers had previously received extension services on agricultural social media use, mainly through publicity about social media activities and the creation of agricultural online networks. Finally, farmers highly agreed with the extension guidelines for using agricultural social media (mean = 3.80), most strongly supporting agency provision of equipment and data for agricultural social media use through practical demonstrations and publicity via group extension methods.