Information-source utilization, innovativeness and networking, knowledge towards agritourism among farmers and promotional officers in Bhopal division of Madhya Pradesh, India

Introduction

Agriculture remains an important source of livelihood for rural households; however, dependence on farming alone may expose farm households to fluctuations in farm income, production costs and market conditions. Farm diversification has therefore emerged as an important approach for creating supplementary income and strengthening the economic resilience of farming households. Agritourism represents one such diversification pathway by combining agricultural activities with tourism-related experiences. It provides opportunities for visitors to experience farming, rural life, local food, traditional culture, livestock activities and other farm-based activities. In addition to supplementary income, agritourism can contribute to rural employment, promotion of local products and preservation of rural culture. Previous studies have also examined the performance, benefits, perceptions and development opportunities associated with agritourism. The development of agritourism requires more than the availability of agricultural resources. Farmers need appropriate information, knowledge, innovativeness and networking, together with a favourable attitude and institutional support. Agriculture and Horticulture Department officers can also play an important role by communicating relevant information, facilitating linkages and providing promotional support to farmers interested in agritourism. The Bhopal Division of Madhya Pradesh, comprising Bhopal, Raisen, Rajgarh, Vidisha and Sehore districts, provides a suitable setting for agritourism because of its www.extensionjournal.com agricultural base, proximity to urban centres and tourism potential. The original thesis identified the need to examine agritourism awareness, opportunities and limitations in this region, noting the limited systematic evidence available for the Bhopal Division. Although agritourism has potential as a farm-diversification activity, its development depends partly on the availability and use of relevant information, the willingness to adopt new ideas, networking with supporting institutions and stakeholders and a favourable attitude towards agritourism. However, evidence specifically comparing these dimensions among agritourism-practising farmers and agritourismpromoting officers in the Bhopal Division remains limited. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess information-source utilization, innovativeness, networking, and attitude towards agritourism among agritourismpractising farmers and agritourism-promoting officers in Bhopal Division of Madhya Pradesh.

Objectives

The present study was undertaken with the following specific objectives: 1. To assess the level of information-source utilization related to agritourism among farmers and agritourismpromoting officers. 2. To assess the level of innovativeness among farmers and agritourism-promoting officers in relation to agritourism. 3. To assess the networking of farmers and agritourismpromoting officers for agritourism. 4. To assess the attitude of farmers and agritourismpromoting officers towards agritourism.

Research Methodology

The study was conducted in Bhopal Division of Madhya Pradesh, India, comprising five districts, namely Bhopal, Raisen, Rajgarh, Vidisha and Sehore. The division was purposively selected considering its agricultural potential, tourism possibilities, proximity to urban centres, supportive policy environment and accessibility. An exploratory research approach was adopted for the study, and a multi-stage sampling procedure was followed. All identified farmers practising agritourism within the study area were included in the study, resulting in 19 farmer respondents. Officers associated with agritourism promotion from the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments were also selected. The officer sample consisted of 71 respondents, including Joint Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and Senior Development Officers. Thus, the total sample comprised 90 respondents, including 71 agritourismpromoting officers and 19 agritourism-practising farmers.

The present paper focused on four variables: informationsource utilization, innovativeness, networking, and attitude towards agritourism. Information-source utilization was assessed using the sources included in the thesis, and respondents were classified into low, medium and high categories. The score ranges used were 10-16 (low), 17-23 (medium) and 24-30 (high). Innovativeness, networking and attitude were assessed using the structured scales adopted in the thesis. Networking was assessed through the respondent's linkage with identified stakeholders/partners, while attitude was assessed using the specified attitude scale. The collected data were summarized using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation to describe the distribution and level of the selected variables among agritourism-promoting officers and agritourism-practising farmers.

Results and Discussion

Information-Source Utilization Related to Agritourism

Information sources used by agritourism-promoting officers and farmers were assessed through item-wise responses and an overall information-source score. Friends/acquaintances (68.42%), newspaper/TV (63.16%) and social media (63.16%) were the most frequently used sources under the "Always" category among farmers. The majority of farmers (47.37%) belonged to the medium category, followed by high (36.84%) and low (15.79%) categories. Thus, the medium category predominated among both officers and farmers, although the mean information-source score was higher among officers (23.41) than farmers (19.26). This indicates comparatively greater informationsource utilization among the officers.

Innovativeness Related to Agritourism

Innovativeness of the respondents was assessed through statements related to technology adoption, use of the internet, training, exchange of ideas and learning from successful agritourism models. Among officers, the highest agreement was recorded for agritourism as an opportunity for socio-economic development (66.2%), followed by learning from successful agritourism models (64.8%).

The majority of officers (64.79%) belonged to the medium innovativeness category, followed by high (18.31%) and low (16.90%) categories. Lack of financial assistance hinders adoption of innovations (-) 15 (78.9) 2 (10.5) 2 (10.5) 10

Learn from successful agritourism models 17 (89.5) 2 (10.5) 0 (0.0) www.extensionjournal.com Among farmers, the highest agreement was observed for adopting latest technology, exchanging new ideas, and learning from successful agritourism models (89.5% each). The majority of farmers (78.95%) belonged to the medium innovativeness category, while 10.53 per cent each belonged to the low and high categories.

Overall, medium innovativeness predominated among both officers and farmers.

Networking for Agritourism

Networking for agritourism was assessed in terms of linkages with different institutional, market and community partners. The majority of farmers (52.63%) belonged to the medium networking category, followed by high (31.57%) and low (15.78%) categories. Overall, the medium networking category predominated among both officers and farmers.

Attitude towards Agritourism

Attitude towards agritourism was assessed among both agritourism-promoting officers and farmers using the attitude scale included in the thesis. The majority of officers (83.09%) had a moderately favourable attitude towards agritourism, followed by highly favourable (9.85%) and less favourable (7.04%) attitudes. Among farmers, 68.42 per cent belonged to the moderately favourable category, followed by 21.05 per cent with less favourable and 10.53 per cent with highly favourable attitudes. The thesis reports that, among officers, the strongest agreement was associated with statements concerning increased farmers' income through agritourism development, improvement in government department credibility, and the need for timely training. Overall, the findings indicate that moderately favourable attitudes predominated among both officers and farmers, despite the high level of knowledge observed in both groups.

Conclusion

The study revealed that medium levels of information-source utilization, innovativeness and networking predominated among both agritourism-promoting officers and farmers. Attitude towards agritourism was predominantly moderately favourable among both officers and farmers. Overall, the findings indicate that while respondents possessed a strong knowledge base regarding agritourism, there is scope to further strengthen information-source utilization, innovativeness, networking and favourable attitudes for supporting the development and promotion of agritourism in Bhopal Division.

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