Adoption Behavior of Farmers Regarding Hybrid Rice Cultivation in Khulna Region

Abstract

Development of hybrid rice varieties is a breakthrough for rice production. In recent years, hybrid rice varieties have been gaining popularity among farmers and occupying a large portion of rice production. They have made an outstanding contribution to the food security of Bangladesh. The study was carried out with the aim of determining the adoption behavior of farmers regarding hybrid rice cultivation and exploring the relationship between selected characteristics of farmers and their extent of adoption of hybrid rice varieties. Data were collected from randomly selected 80 respondents from four villages Khalsi, Sajaira, Golna, and Hajidanga under Dumuria Upazila of Khulna District through personal interviews conducted by the researcher using an interview schedule from 12 January to 25 January 2022. Farmers’ adoption behavior in terms of the extent of adoption of hybrid rice varieties was the dependent variable, while fifteen selected characteristics of the respondents were considered as independent variables. A computed adoption quotient was used to measure the farmers’ extent of adoption of hybrid rice varieties in the study area. Pearson’s coefficient of correlation (r) was used to explore the relationships between the concerned variables. Besides, simple statistics such as mean, standard deviation, range, and percentile were used throughout the study. The majority (57.5%) of the respondents belonged to the medium adoption category, while 38.75% and 3.75% of the respondents belonged to the low and high adoption categories of hybrid rice varieties, respectively. Among the fifteen independent variables, level of education, experience in hybrid rice cultivation, extension media contact, organizational participation, cosmopolitanism, training exposure, knowledge, and attitude towards hybrid rice showed significant positive relationships with the extent of adoption. In contrast, age, farming experience, experience in rice cultivation, and innovativeness showed significant negative relationships with the extent of adoption of hybrid rice. The findings of the study indicated that farmers’ adoption of hybrid rice production was not up to the desired level. It is concluded that the adoption of hybrid rice production can be increased through improvements in education, organizational participation, cosmopolitanism, exposure to communication media, and training. The government should take necessary steps to overcome this situation.