Assessing Information and Communication Needs of Vegetable Growers in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of Southern India, is heavily dependent on rice and vegetables as the staple foods for its 19 million people. However, production of rice and vegetables is largely in the hands of subsistence farmers. Thus to ensure national food security, eradicate poverty, and promote sustainable development, the government must pay particular attention to increasing small farmer productivity by encouraging adoption of modem techniques and technologies of rice and vegetable production. This survey research of vegetable growers in Welimada Divisional Secretary area in the Badulla District of Sri Lanka, determined farmers' sources of technical information. Source is important because it is associated with factors such as reliability, availability, timeliness, relevancei and comprehension of the information. The study found that neighbouring farmers and farmer organizations were the primary sources of information to vegetable producers. Newspapers. radio, television and extension workers ranked very low which suggests that vegetable producers have practically less access to modern technical information. Farmers also ranked extension workers low in comprehension also implying a need for communication skills training for these agents. The study found that farmer organizations provide a more equitable means of disseminating innovative information instead of opinion leaders, an approach that only makes the information rich, richer.