FARMERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS AROMATIC RICE VALUE CHAIN

Abstract

The focus of the study was to determine and describe the selected socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers involved with aromatic rice value chain; to assess the farmers‟ attitude towards aromatic rice value chain, to determine the relationship between selected characteristics of the farmers and their attitude to the aromatic rice value chain; and to identify the problems faced by the farmers and suggestions for its improvement. The study was conducted in selected areas of Sadar Upazila under Dinajpur district. A total of 92 farmers were selected as sample from an updated list of 920 aromatic rice farmers using simple random sampling method for achieving objectives of the present study. To collect data, a questionnaire was administrated through face-to-face interviews within 1 to 28 March 2017. Besides the usual descriptive statistical parameter, Pearson‟s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used for the statistical analysis. The major portion (65.2 percent) of the respondents had medium favorable attitude compared to 20.70 percent having low favorable attitude and only 14.1 percent had highly favorable attitude towards aromatic rice value chain. Correlation analyses indicated that among nine selected characteristics educational qualification, farm size, annual family income, savings, training exposure, and cosmopoliteness had significant positive relationships with their attitude towards aromatic rice value chain. „Low production of aromatic rice per unit area‟ (78.26 percent) emerged as the most important problem opined by the aromatic rice farmers. „Low market price of aromatic rice during peak season‟ was the 2nd most problem mentioned by the farmers (75.00 percent). „Lack of capital‟ and „Lack of labor during pick period and high wage rate‟ were the last two problems in the rank table as opined by the 41.30 and 31.52 percent farmers respectively. The foremost suggestion cited by the farmers (84.78 percent) was “Introduction of HYV aromatic rice variety”. „Use of modern cultivation practices including judicial use of pesticides‟ was the 2nd most important suggestion cited by 79.35 percent farmers. „Introduction of agricultural mechanization services‟ and „Ensure soft loan for aromatic rice farmers‟ was the last two suggestions in the rank table as opined by the 38.04 and 32.61 percent farmers respectively to overcome the problems