UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION SOURCES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH DEMOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES OF FARMERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR LIVESTOCK EXTENSION

Abstract

Livestock sector plays an important role in the economy of Pakistan with a 14% share of the national GDP. This sector is dominated by small farmers in Pakistan owning less than 10 animals per household. These farmers face enormous challenges at different stages of livestock production and require consistent advisory services from experts. Various information sources exist dealing with farmers for livestock extension services to fulfill the information gap. The present study was designed to investigate the behavior of the farmers towards the available information sources and the relationship between the utilization of these sources with demographic attribute. A sample size of 101 was taken from five villages of Multan tehsil. A well-structured, validated questionnaire was used to collect data from livestock farmers. Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results described that electronic media (mobile phones, Television and Radio) were the preferred information sources by farmers. Regarding interpersonal communication, farmer’s meetings and personal observations were among the top sources of information used by farmers. The result of the chi-square table showed that farmers' age does not have an association with the availability and use of ICTs. Whereas education plays a crucial role, with a strong positive association between higher education levels and the likelihood of utilizing information technologies. Regarding Livestock department extension services, age has an inverse relation with the utilization of advisory services, with older farmers likely benefiting less. However, education has no significant relation with traditional livestock extension services.