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Type : Other Article

Role of Mass Media for Enhancing Potato Production in District Okara of Pakistan

Tahir Munir Butt, Shahbaz Talib Sahi, Khanlid Mehmood Ch and Sher Muhammad

Abstract

Potato is one of the crops having high nutritive value and fourth major crop of country. But its production was low due to major factors like non-availability of disease free seed of high yielding varieties, poor agronomic practices, indigenous weeding methods, lack of proper plant protection measures for the control of insect/pests and diseases, defective marketing system and lack of information. Present study was designed especially to see the role of mass media in the promotion of latest technology among farmers for enhancing the potato production in tehsil Depalpur, district Okara. The Okara district is famous for its fertile lands, and green fields of potato, sugarcane, wheat, rice and maize crops. Okara district comprises of three tehsils, namely Okara, Depalpur, and Renala Khurd. Tehsil Depalpur randomly selected as the study area having a total of 542 villages. Out of these villages 10 were selected randomly. Twelve potato growers from each selected village were taken at random. Thus, the total sample was 120 respondents. Data were collected with the help of a specifically designed and pre-tested interview schedule. The results showed that 64.16% of the respondents had an education from primary to matric and above level. Majority (61.0-83.3%) of the respondents were aware of potato varieties like Desiri, Diamint and Santey, respectively. On the other hand, adoption level for all varieties was low except Santey which was adopted by 75.3% of the respondents. It was concluded that different mass media were not fully utilized in the area which hindered not only awareness level of the respondents but also adversely affect the adoption level regarding the latest production technology related to potato.That, all the educational level of the study area should be increased so as farming community is able to get benefit from printed material. To increase the use of computer and internet both public and private sector should create awareness and establish telecenters for the dissemination of modern potato technology that ultimately results in the upliftment of potato production

Keyword: Mass media; Agricultural

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