Utilization pattern of ICTs among tribal livestock farmers of Telangana state

Introduction

The livestock sector plays a vital role in supporting the socio-economic development of India's tribal communities. Telangana, a state with a significant tribal population, demonstrates a unique mix of agricultural tradition and underdeveloped infrastructure. Livestock remains a principal livelihood source, especially in tribal districts like Mahabubabad, Adilabad, and Bhadradri Kothagudem. With the growth of digital agriculture and the proliferation of ICTs-such as mobile phones, internet-based advisory systems, and broadcast media-there lies a vast potential to enhance knowledge dissemination. However, for marginalized tribal farmers, ICTs remain underutilized due to structural, social, and psychological constraints. Limited connectivity, cost of devices, digital illiteracy, and lack of localized content form the major barriers. The present study aims to assess the levels of availability and accessibility of ICTs among tribal livestock farmers and identify sociopersonal and psychological determinants influencing ICT usage patterns. The findings would provide evidence for designing inclusive ICT-based interventions targeted at tribal farming communities.

Materials and Methods

An ex-post-facto research design was adopted. The study was conducted in the tribal-dominated districts of Mahabubabad, Adilabad, and Bhadradri Kothagudem in Telangana. A multistage purposive random sampling technique was used. From each of the three districts, three mandals with high tribal populations were selected, followed by three villages per mandal. Fifteen tribal livestock farmers were randomly chosen from each village, www.extensionjournal.com totaling 405 respondents. Primary data were collected using a structured interview schedule that included socio-personal variables (education, family type, landholding, income, etc.) and psychological variables (self-confidence, economic orientation, innovativeness, achievement motivation, etc.). The frequency of use of the identified ICT tools was measured by giving weightages of 3, 2, 1, 0 on four-point continuum viz., frequently, occasionally, rarely, and never, respectively. Further, the respondents were classified into low, medium and high categories by using the mean and standard deviation. The mean score for a particular ICT tool was worked out by dividing the weighted score of the ICT tool with the total number of respondents and ICTs were ranked accordingly. These were measure by measured by adopting and applying a scale developed by Khamoushi (2014) [2] with modifications. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and MS Excel, employing descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation classification, and Pearson's correlation for variable relationships.

Results and Discussion

ICT Utilization pattern

At a glance of Table 1 inferred that majority (63.21%) of the farmers had medium level of ICTs utilization pattern followed by high (20.99%) and rest (15.80%) of the farmers had low level of ICT utilization pattern. [6] , Madhuri et al.

(2021) [3] and Mishra (2015) [4] who reported that majority of the respondent farmers had medium ICT utilisation pattern.

While the results are contrasting with Hasan et al. (2019) [1] Yadav et al. (2019) [7] Reddy (2016) [5] in which the respondents had less utilization of ICTs. Item analysis of ICT utilisation pattern of the tribal livestock farmers was studied and presented in the Tables 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

With regards to the mobile phones it was evident that majority of the respondents (81.73%) used mobile phones frequently followed by occasionally (10.62%) and 5.93 per cent rarely used them (Table 02). It could be considered the mobile phone are most available, accessible and affordable ICT tool. The services used in the mobile phones frequently used was the social media (33.09%) services like WhatsApp etc. from where they can obtain the information regarding the livestock farming. Majority of the farmers have opined www.extensionjournal.com that, mobile apps (51.36%) and calls to subject matter specialists (38.27%) were occasionally used. Short message services (47.90%) were rarely used and Kisan call centers (52.59%) were never used ICT tools. By analyzing the results, it can be implied that the farmers use the mobile phonein their domestic life and same would be also used for the acquiring information regarding the livestock farming.

Utilisation of Television modules regarding the livestock

Table 3 demonstrated that about three-fourth of the respondents (57.53%) frequently watched televisions followed by 21.73 per cent never, 10.86 per cent rarely and rest 9.88 per cent occasionally watched television. On perusal of Table 04, it could be concluded that the radio was rarely listened by the most of the respondents (71.85%).

The programs of FM/AM Radio programs were (51.36%) never listened followed by 20.25 per cent were occasionally listening them. Phone in live programs also almost followed the same trend of more than half of the respondents (53.58%) were never listening phone in live programs followed by occasionally (20.49%) them. Majority of the respondents were (59.26%) never listening community radio followed by 16.79 per cent were occasionally listening the programme. These results might be observed as the radio is traditional ICT tool and it became obsolete in many of the households.

Utilisation of computers and multimedia modules regarding the livestock

Table 5, showed that half of the respondents (50.37%) were rarely used computers followed by 38.27 per cent who never used computer, while 6.17 per cent frequently used and 5.19 per cent occasionally used computers. The Table 05 also indicated that majority of the respondents (52.35%) were never used multimedia modules while (36.05%) rarely, (6.17%) frequently and 5.43 per cent occasionally used multimedia modules. Most of the respondents (60.74%) never used CD/DVDs, while 15.31 per cent occasionally used and 14.07 per cent rarely and 9.88 per cent frequently used CD/DVDs. It observed form Table 5, that half of the respondents (50.37%) were rarely using computers followed by 38.02 per cent were never used, computers. The feature of the computer like multimedia modules (52.10%) and CD/DVDs (60.74%) were never used by more than half of the respondents. Only 36.05 per cent and 15.31 per cent of the respondents had rarely used the multimedia modules and CD/DVDs respectively. This scenario might be observed due to the availability, accessibility and affordability of the farmer is less with regards to the computer as they require infrastructure an investment as well.

Utilisation pattern of Internet regarding the livestock

Table 6 indicated that more than half of the respondents (55.80%) were frequently using internet followed by 29.38 per cent who used internet occasionally, 9.14 per cent rarely used and 5.68 per cent never used internet. Nearly half of the respondents (49.38%) frequently used internet by mobile phones followed occasionally (23.70%), never (15.80%) and the rest (11.11%) rarely used internet by mobile phones. Majority of the respondents (61.48%) never used internet in home through laptop or desktop followed by 15.56 per cent rarely, 14.07 per cent and 8.89 per cent occasionally and frequently used internet in home through laptop or desktop respectively. More than half of the respondents (55.31%) were never using internet in some other people's house in the village followed by 15.56 per cent, 14.81 per cent and 14.32 per cent used occasionally, frequently and rarely internet in some other people's house in the village. Nearly two-third of the respondents (63.46%) rarely used web portals followed by 23.35 per cent who never used web portals, and 12.10 per cent occasionally used and 12.10 per cent frequently used web portals. Most of the respondents (63.21%) were rarely using search engines followed by 16.30 per cent who occasionally used search engines, while 11.60 per cent never used search engines and 8.89 per cent frequently used search engines. Majority of the respondents (68.40%) never used e-books followed by 13.83 per cent rarely used e-books, 12.59 per cent occasionally and rest 5.19 per cent were frequently used e-books. Majority of the respondents (68.40%) never used e-books followed by 13.83 per cent rarely used ebooks, 12.59 per cent occasionally and rest 5.19 per cent were frequently used e-books. Majority of the respondents (64.20%) were never used e-magazines followed by 16.05 per cent rarely, 11.11 per cent and 8.64 per cent occasionally and frequently used e-magazines respectively. The internet (Table 06) was frequently used by more than half of the respondents (55.80%) followed by occasionally (29.38%), rarely (9.14%) and never (5.68%) used internet. With regards to the network connectivity, internet was used via mobile phones network by 49.83 per cent of the respondents. 61.48 per cent never used internet in home through laptop or desktop and more than half of the respondents (55.31%) were never used internet in some other people's house in the village. This might be the farmers used to their area they could access network connectivity with mobile phones which is wireless rather than the wired network connectivity to the computer desktops or laptops. With regards to the services they used, most of the respondents (40.74%) were frequently using YouTube followed by 32.59 per cent were occasionally used it. However, services like web portals (63.46%) search engines (63.2%) rarely used and e-book (68.40%) and emagazines (63.95%) were never used by majority of the respondents. This trend may be observed as the YouTube is used daily by the farmers for mainly entertainment, they also use the same for the livestock faming as well frequently. The services of web portals, search engines were used by the farmers whenever they required for getting the information regarding the livestock farming. 07). This pattern might be observed because these technologies were most recent ones and they may not be available at the tribal areas. So, due to less access to these advanced technologies the most of the respondents may not have used these technologies. The farmers who used these technologies may had good contact with the change agents.

Utilisation pattern of other ICT Tools

Conclusion

The present study concluded that the majority (63.21%) of the tribal livestock farmers had medium level of ICTs utilization pattern followed by high (20.99%) and low (15.80%) of ICT utilization pattern. The majority of tribal livestock farmers frequently used mobile phones (81.73%) and watched television (78.77%). Radios were rarely used by most respondents (71.85%), and half of the respondents (50.37%) rarely used computers. More than half (55.80%) frequently accessed the internet, while other ICT tools, such as film shows (54.32%), video conferencing (38.27%), audio conferencing (39.01%), digital and video cameras (29.14% and 35.80%, respectively), expert systems (59.01%), and information kiosks (63.46%), were never used by most respondents.

References

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