Relationship of Farmers Profile with Utilization of Extension Services

Ex-post facto research design was followed for carrying out the study in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Sample comprised of 120 farmers selected randomly from four randomly selected mandals of Mahaboobnagar district which was a purposive selection. Age, education, farm size, farming experience, annual income, occupation, innovativeness, economic orientation, market orientation, change proneness, achievement motivation, information seeking behavior, social participation and participation in activities of extension centre (District Agricultural Advisory Transfer of Technology Centre) were the profile characteristics of farmers studied under independent variables in the study. Utilisation of services was the dependent variable selected for the study. The findings revealed that majority of farmers were illiterate, middle aged, possessed small farm size, had medium farming experience, annual income, labour and agriculture was their main and subsidiary occupation, medium innovativeness, medium economic orientation, medium market orientation, medium change proneness, medium achievement motivation, medium information seeking behavior, with no membership in any social organization and medium participation in DAATTC activities respectively. The profile characteristics like age, education, farm size, farming experience, annual income, innovativeness, market orientation, change proneness, information seeking behaviour, social participation and participation in DAATTC activities were positively and significantly correlated with the utilisation of DAATTC services by farmers. Hence, above variables should be taken into consideration for selection of master trainers and innovative farmers so that these farmers can effectively communicate to fellow farmers resulting in effective service utilisation.