ABSTRACT
Agriculture plays a crucial role in ensuring food security, sustainable development and poverty alleviation in developing nations. Despite being one of the largest agricultural producers, India faces low productivity due to a knowledge deficit among farmers as highlighted by the NPC (2006) report. With an extension agent-to-farmer ratio of 1:2879, traditional agricultural extension services struggle to reach all farmers. The rapid expansion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has created opportunities for digital solutions in agricultural extension. Social media in particular has emerged as a key tool for bridging the information gap between farmers and extension professionals. A study was conducted in Cuddalore District to analyze the utilization pattern of social media among farmers. Three blocks-Panruti, Kurinjipadi and Bhuvanagiri-were selected, covering nine villages with a sample size of 120 respondents. The findings revealed that most respondents belonged to the 36-45 age group and accessed agricultural information primarily through smartphones. WhatsApp was universally used with multimedia being the preferred format for communication. Farmers ranked WhatsApp as the most preferred platform for agricultural discussions and information sharing. A significant positive relationship was observed between family income, attitude towards ICT, innovativeness and perception of good agricultural practices with the extent of social media usage. However, poor network connectivity and low internet speed were the major constraints faced by farmers. The study highlights the growing role of social media in agricultural extension and its potential in enhancing knowledge dissemination among farmers.
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