Utilization of Information Sources by Vegetable Farmers for Decision Making- A Case Study

Improving the vegetable production is vital in achieving the food security of a country. Appropriate, adequate, and updated information is a necessity to facilitate rational farming decisions. The general objective of this study was to analyze the usage of information sources for decision making by vegetable farmers. This study was conducted in Ambewela (No.50A) Grama Niladhari division, situated in Welimada Divisional Secretariat belonging to Badulla District in Sri Lanka. Purposive sampling was used to form a sample of 60 vegetable farmers for the study. Personal localite sources were the mostly used information source, and mass media sources were the least used. Among the personal localite sources, fellow farmers were the mostly used information source, with a superior accessibility over other sources. Agriculture input sellers/ dealers, buyers were the other information sources that were mostly used. Internet and CD ROMs inclusive of agricultural information had never been used by farmers. There were positive significant relationships between the use of information sources and personal factors, viz. age, social participation, degree of exposure to mass media, innovativeness, and risk orientation. Accessibility was identified as the most influential quality in selecting an information source. Accessibility to accurate information by farmers could be increased by introducing village level information centers activated through farmer organizations.