| Abstract | The study aimed at determining the factors associated with acceptance of high yielding varieties (HYV) of rice in an are? in Bangladesh. Operationally, it investigated into the extent of adoption of HYV in a predominantly rice growing area close to the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute for
the crop year 1977-78.
It viewed the adopting and non-adopting farmers on the basis of traits describing them as individuals and also as social
begins, in their socio-economic context and with their psychological leanings. It also determined how these traits influenced the decision of farmers with regard to the cultivation of HYV.
The research encompassed two patterns of rice cultivation, namely, (i) boro - grown in the dry season with irrigation, and (ii) aman - grown in rainfed conditions during the monsoons.
Two samples were drawn from the two types of farms and compared to find discriminatory variables. For all the quantitative analyses, computer programmes were run using the Biomedical
Package and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.
Results of the analyses of the field data revealed that about 56 percent aman farmers did not adopt HYV, while in the boro sample, the nonadopters were only 31 per cent.
Factor analyses identified six and five patterns of interrelationships existing among eighteen independent variables selected to describe farmers' trait typology in the boro and aman samples respectively. samples extension, farm and market factors were common. In both the
Patterns like self enlightenment and social contact were identified with boro farmers only. Onthe other hand, change-proneness, values and health factors exclusively belonged to the aman sample.
Results of the stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that five variables were able to explain the variation in the adoption of HYVs among
farmers in each type of farms.
In case of boro farms, the explanatory variables were input availability, extension contact, innovativeness, rice harvest sale and social contact. The first three variables were also predictive of variation in aman farms . The two new variables entering the On regression model fur aman exclusively were functional literacy and profitability perception. All the factors jointly accounted for about 70 and 62 per cent
of variations in the HYV acceptance in the boro and aman seasons respectively.
The findings led the researcher to recommend for a more effective input delivery system in order to expand HYV cultivation in the area. As the farmers were seriously handicapped by a weak, network of extension services, strengthening of the extension network was suggested. Suggestions included
posting one extension worker at each village and training him periodically on new developments in the rice production technology and other farming practices.
Recommendations were also made· to control the grain price fluctuation in the market by protective price. ceiling and government purchase after harvest. The other major recommendations were transferring more responsibilities to the farmers' organizations, formulation of government policies involving various departments to raise farmers' literacy level and innovative
ness, improvement of grain quality of HYV in terms of palatability and better
coordination among the departments sharing the task of agricultural and rural
development. |