physicochemical

Research Note
J.Res. ANGRAU 39(1&2)53-57, 2011
FARMERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS UNDERSTANDABILITY AND UTILITY OF
VYAVASAYA PANCHANGAM
SHIREESHA DEVARAKONDA, V.ANANDA RAO and M.JAGAN MOHAN REDDY
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural
University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030
After the establishment of agricultural
universities in India, which are the chief sources of
innovations in agricultural field, the need for speedy
communication of research findings to the farming
community has increased multifold. So an attempt
was made to find out the perception of farmers
towards understandability and utility of vyavasaya
panchangam published by Acharya N.G Ranga
Agricultural University.
Expost –Facto research design was
followed for the study. The study was conducted in
Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh. Four
mandals were selected and three villages from each
selected mandal were selected for the study. From
each selected village 10 respondents were selected
by simple random sampling, thus constituting a total
sample of 120 farmers. Data collected from the
selected respondents by using an interview schedule
and results were drawn after processing the data.
The respondents were classified into three
categories based on the perception towards
understandability of the information provided in
Vyavasaya Panchangam using class interval
technique. It could be indicated from the Table1 that
a majority of the respondents had medium
perception towards understandability (55.0%),
followed by high (23.3%) and low (21.7 %). In order
to increase the perception towards understandability
of any information material, the literacy level of the
farmers must be improved by conducting various
educational programmes through government
organizations/institutions.
Majority of respondents (table 2) stated that
it is easy to understand each sentence (96.7%),
paragraph (96.7%), chapter (94.2%), meanings of
general words (89.2%) and content preview of
Vyavasaya Panchangam as a whole (85.0%), as
the Vyavasaya Panchangam is published in simple,
local and informal language. Majority of respondents
perceived that English words (53.2%) in Vyavasaya
Panchangam are moderate to understand by most
of the respondents, whose literacy level is only
primary schooling. They stated that they are capable
of understanding English words which are very
popular among Telugu speaking people. Majority of
the respondents perceived that technical terms
(60.9%) used in Vyavasaya Panchangam were
moderate to understand as also indicated by
Venkatesham (2002). If less number of technical
terms are used, the farmers would be able to follow
the message easily. In the view of the rapid changes
in agricultural technology, new technical terms are
frequently being evolved to communicate new ideas.
It may be difficult to translate those terms into easy
Telugu language. Hence, it may be compulsory to
use some of the important English technical terms
in the regional language. Attempts would be made
by the publishers of Vyavasaya Panchangam to
translate these new technical terms into simple
telugu terms.
Awareness programs could be organized
by extension agents to educate farmers on this new
concept. Illustrations coupled with messages make
the subject matter easier to understand. Tables used
in the Vyavasaya Panchangam were moderate to
understand (58.4%). As most of the respondents
are from primary schooling they are having less
knowledge to understand the tables mentioned.
Better understanding could be brought out by
E-mail: sirisha.devarakonda4@gmail.com
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