Social media in agricultural extension services: Farmers and extension agents perspective

Introduction

The traditional agricultural extension system has primarily relied on personal interactions between extension officers and farmers. Knowledge dissemination was achieved through face-to-face meetings, field visits, and participatory approaches such as the farmer-to-farmer method, group discussions, Farmer Field Schools (FFS), demonstrations, and field days. These methods have been instrumental in transferring agricultural technologies and innovations at the grassroots level. However, with the rapid advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially the widespread use of the internet and mobile connectivity, the extension landscape has undergone a significant transformation. hese platforms enable instant communication, faster dissemination of advisories, and realtime feedback from farmers, making extension services more dynamic and responsive. (Chowdary et al., 2024) [5] This interactivity not only enhances knowledge sharing but also builds trust and engagement between farmers and extension personnel (Balaji. et al. 2024) [3] . Furthermore, social media groups and online communities have emerged as virtual learning platforms where farmers exchange innovative practices, market information, and success stories. This has expanded the reach of extension services beyond geographical boundaries, enabling cost-effective and continuous learning. In this view, it is essential to assess the role and effectiveness of social media in delivering agricultural and allied extension services, particularly in bridging the information gap, improving decision-making, and promoting the adoption of latest technologies among farming communities.

Materials and Methods

The present study was conducted in operational area of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ghantasala Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The objectives of the study are attitude of the farmers and extension agents towards social media, perceived benefits of utilizing media in agriculture by farmers and extension agents and constraints faced by farmers and Extension agents while utilizing social media. In KVK operational area total 9 adopted villages was selected for the investigation and from each village ten respondents were selected. Descriptive survey research design was used and ninety sample size was selected for the study by proportionate random sampling method. To measure the attitude and perceived benefits of the farmers and extension agents using most relevant, relevant and irrelevant three-point continuum. Constraints being faced by farmers and extension agents were collected through interview schedule. Mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage were the statistical tools used for analyzing the data.

Results and discussions 3.1 Attitude of farmers and extension agents using Social media for information dissemination

Table 1 represents the attitude of farmers and extension agents using social media for information dissemination, along with their order of importance ranked in percentage. The findings revealed that both farmers and extension www.extensionjournal.com agents showed a highly positive attitude towards the statement "social media improves youth attitude towards agriculture" (56.67%), which was ranked first in order of importance. (48.89%), reflecting the respondents' recognition of social media as a reliable source for accessing timely agricultural information. This was followed by "Communication and knowledge transfer is easy through social media" (40.00%), suggesting that users find these platforms convenient for exchanging knowledge and experiences. Further, "Social media has impacted communication system and other fields" (36.67%) and "Social media technology has helped manage change" (27.78%) were also positively perceived, indicating that the technology has enhanced communication networks and facilitated adaptability among users. On the contrary, a smaller percentage of respondents agreed with the statements "Social media is capable of causing communication divide" (24.44%), "I do not have ICT skill to use social media" (13.33%), and "Social media is gender sensitive" (11.11%). From Table 2, it can be observed that the majority of farmers and extension agents exhibited a positive attitude (65.55%) towards using social media for agricultural information dissemination. This indicates that most respondents recognize the usefulness and practicality of social media platforms in accessing and sharing agricultural knowledge. This was followed by those with a negative attitude (17.77%), suggesting a smaller segment still hesitant or facing barriers such as lack of digital literacy or infrastructure. Meanwhile, highly positive attitude (16.66%) was recorded among respondents who were enthusiastic adopters of social media, reflecting their strong confidence and satisfaction in using these platforms for timely and relevant agricultural information. 4 shows the major constraints faced by farmers and extension agents in accessing agricultural information through social media. The most important constraint identified was Irrelevant posts (I), followed by Untimely provision of information (II) and Lack of infrastructure (III). Other issues included Difficulty in understanding and proper

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