Assessment of Farmers’ Perception towards the Usage of Social Media for Acquiring Agricultural Information

Description

Page: 1412-1417

Jyotika, Rashmi Tyagi, Jatesh Kathpalia, and Himanshi (Department of Sociology, CCS HAU, Hisar, Haryana)

The study explores farmers’ perceptions regarding the usage of social media for acquiring agricultural information in Haryana. An exploratory research design was adopted, and data were collected from 120 respondents across two districts using a semi-structured interview schedule. The study assessed farmers’ familiarity with social media platform, their perceived ease of use, reliability of information, and the impact of social media on agricultural practices. The findings revealed that Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube were widely recognized, whereas applications like Krishi Jagran, Krishify, and Krishi Network had limited reach. A significant proportion of respondents (68.33%) exhibited a high level of perception towards the utility of social media in agriculture, while socio-economic factors such as age, education, income, landholding, and social participation significantly influenced perception levels. Despite recognizing the benefits of social media for knowledge enhancement, marketing and communication, concerns regarding privacy and misinformation were evident. The study emphasizes the need for targeted training programs and awareness campaigns to enhance the effective utilization of social media in the agricultural sector.