Social Media Utilisation Behaviour Among Farmers

The rapid advancement of communication technologies has brought about a transformative era for agricultural communities, reshaping the way farmers interact and exchange information. In this digital age, social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools that bridge geographical distances and connect farmers worldwide. This study explores farmers’ use of social media, uncovering their motives, preferences and engagement patterns. By doing so, it provides insights into how social media transforms agriculture by facilitating knowledge exchange and advancing farming practices. The research study was conducted among a random sample of 90 farmers from Vadodara and Chhotaudepur districts of Gujarat state who use social media. An ex-post-facto research design was employed and the data were collected through personal interviews. This research delves into the intriguing realm of farmers’ social media utilization behavior, providing valuable insights into their motives, preferences and engagement patterns. The study reveals that social media serves as a dual-purpose platform for farmers, with 100 percent using it for entertainment and 98.90 percent for general awareness. Notably, WhatsApp (96.66 percent) and YouTube (96.70 percent) emerge as the preferred social media platforms, with the majority of farmers engaging with them on a daily basis. Interestingly, a significant portion of farmers participate in content creation by uploading videos (24.40 percent) and audio (14.44 percent), showcasing their active involvement on social media platforms. The main areas of agricultural engagement on social media, as revealed by the study, are news related to agriculture (with a mean score of 2.84) and agricultural schemes (with a mean score of 2.73). This research underscores the transformative power of social media in shaping agricultural practices and fostering knowledge exchange among farmers, facilitating advancements in farming techniques and disseminating information.