Perception of livestock farmers towards social media as an information source in Andhra Pradesh

Introduction

In the 21st century, information has become the fifth critical factor of production, alongside land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship. Within livestock farming, access to timely and context-specific information is crucial for informed decision-making on feeding, breeding, disease control and marketing. Traditionally, farmers have relied on veterinarians, extension workers, dealers and peer networks; however, these sources are often limited in reach and consistency, especially in remote areas. India has one of the largest livestock populations globally, exceeding 535 million and the sector contributes 4 percent to GDP while supporting over 70 million rural households. It plays a vital role in employment with women contributing disproportionately to daily management. India remains the world's largest milk producer, generating over 239 million tonnes in 2023-24 while Andhra Pradesh ranks first in eggs, third in meat and sixth in milk production (DAHD, 2023) [2] . Despite this growth, challenges such as poor veterinary access, low awareness of scientific practices, weak market linkages and climate risks persist. At the same time, rural India is undergoing rapid digital transformation with 806 million internet users and 491 million social media accounts projected by 2025 (Data Reportal -Global Digital Insights, 2025) [1] . Platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube provide real-time, interactive and localised advisory services that bridge the gaps of conventional extension, as evidenced during the COVID-19 lockdown (Thakur & Chander, 2017) www.extensionjournal.com [8] . However, barriers such as digital illiteracy, poor connectivity, high data costs and lack of trust hinder wider adoption (Malik & Ansari, 2024) [3] . This study addresses a critical research gap by analysing perception of livestock farmers regarding their use of social media. The findings have academic, practical and policy relevance offering insights to strengthen digital extension, support targeted interventions and align with national programs and sustainable development goals focused on poverty reduction and inclusive innovation

Methodology

An ex-post-facto research design was employed to explore livestock farmers' perception of utilising social media as an information source. The study took place in Andhra Pradesh which is geographically divided into three distinct regions: Rayalaseema, Coastal and North Coastal. From each region, three districts with the highest livestock populations were purposively selected, totalling nine districts. Within each district, three mandals were chosen through simple random sampling method. This process yielded a total of twentyseven mandals across the nine districts. From each mandal, 20 respondents were selected, comprising dairy, sheep/goat and backyard poultry farmers in equal proportion. Thus, the final sample consisted of 540 livestock farmers, comprising 180 dairy farmers, 180 sheep/goat farmers and 180 backyard poultry farmers. To ensure relevance, only farmers with prior acquaintance and experience using at least one social media platform or application were included in the study. A structured interview schedule was designed to collect primary data. Farmers were presented with 18 carefully constructed statements designed to measure their perception of social media. Responses were captured on a five-point Likert scale with positive items scored from 5 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree) while negative statements were reverse-scored. The collected data were systematically coded and analysed using appropriate statistical techniques.

Results and Discussion

The results of Table 1 confirmed that majority of the livestock farmers (64.63%) had a medium perception towards social media as an information source while 18.70 percent exhibited a high perception and 16.67 percent fell into low perception category (Mean = 70.62, S.D. = 8.10). [4] and Sethy and Mukhopadhyay (2020) [6] . On the other hand, education (r = 0.386**) showed a positive and significant relationship, indicating that educated farmers could better interpret, evaluate and apply digital information. Herd size (r = 0.291*) was positively correlated, as larger herd owners depend more on timely information for animal health, feeding and marketing, making them receptive to social media advisories. Material possession (r = 0.334**) and media ownership (r = 0.362**) also exhibited significant relationships, reflecting that better access to digital devices, smartphones, television and internet connectivity increased favourable perception. Social media exposure (r = 0.498**) showed the strongest positive association, indicating that frequent interaction with platforms, especially WhatsApp groups run by dairy cooperatives and farmer associations in Andhra Pradesh, directly influences positive attitudes. Information-seeking behaviour (r = 0.421**) was also strongly related, indicating that proactive farmers who actively search for solutions perceive social media as a valuable tool to address extension gaps. Scientific orientation (r = 0.355**) and market orientation (r = 0.298*) were significantly correlated, emphasising that farmers with rational, evidence-based mindsets and those sensitive to market signals view social media as a credible and timely source for advisory services and market price updates. Credibility (r = 0.389**) was also positively associated, indicating that farmers who trust digital advisories, especially those shared in the local language, have favourable perception. These findings likely reflect the Andhra Pradesh context where higher literacy, the dominance of dairy and poultry enterprises, increasing youth involvement and the spread of regional-language content through programs like Digital India and AP FiberNet have collectively fostered positive perception of social media. Meanwhile, traditional socio-economic variables exerted little influence compared to factors linked to digital access, exposure and scientific outlook. These findings are in conformity with the outcome of Saini and Jagadeeswari (2024) [7] , Tiwari et al., (2023) [9] and Raja et al., (2023) [5] .

Conclusion

The study showed that social media is increasingly recognised as a valuable information source by livestock farmers in Andhra Pradesh with majority exhibiting a medium perception level that signals gradual yet positive acceptance. Although digital expansion has enabled more equitable access to timely livestock advisories, there is still room for further progress, especially in bridging digital skill gaps and improving connectivity. Factors such as education, herd size, material possessions, media ownership, social media exposure, information-seeking behaviour, scientific orientation, market orientation and credibility have a significant positive relationship with favourable perception, highlighting that digital literacy and proactive engagement drive higher acceptance. The findings suggest that the widespread adoption of digital advisories, regional language content and targeted capacitybuilding programs can accelerate the digital transformation of livestock extension services, especially for less literate and resource-constrained farmers. Utilising platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube can make information more accessible, boost productivity and improve the resilience of the rural livestock sector, as long as inclusivity and local context are prioritised. Strengthening digital infrastructure and digital skills, coupled with trust-building and locally relevant content, will be crucial for deepening the impact of social media on livestock production and livelihoods in Andhra Pradesh and beyond.

References

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