PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER MEANS USED BY AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT IN THE PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Pakistan is a country where agriculture is the major source of revenue (21%) and employment (43%) generation. Nevertheless, it is very significant but majority of farmer’s still use obsolete agri. practices. The Govt. has incepted various prorammes to minimize communication gap through improved agri. technology transfer means i.e. Village AID, BDs, T&V, FFS and Hub programme. The present study was conducted in district Faisalabad. Through multistage sampling technique 120 farmers were selected from two tehsils. Interview schedule and key informant interviews were used as research instruments. Psychological analysis of data revealed that the farmer group meeting and the farmer days were least applied contact interventions. Helpline and internet among the advertisement means were lowest rated advertisement means in-spite of being the most advanced way to transfer agricultural technologies. Extension field staff used books & booklets as an information dissemination pathway in very low category. It was concluded after key informant interviews that there was a great difference between famers psyche and applied extension means. Therefore, it is recommended that government should include end users in programme planning, dissemination and execution of agricultural work. All the public and private stakeholders have to extend the infrastructure of modern communication means i.e. telephone & internet. It is also quite significant to induce self-help sense among them.