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Assessment of training needs on crop production for farmers in some selected

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Article in Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research · December 2018

DOI: 10.3329/bjar.v43i4.39165

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ISSN 0258-7122 (Print), 2408-8293 (Online)
Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 43(4): 669-690, December 2018
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION FOR
FARMERS IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF BANGLADESH

M. S. RAHMAN1, M. KHATUN2, M. L. RAHMAN3

4
AND S. R. HAQUE

Abstract
The study attempts to determine the training needs of the farmers emphasizing
nine selected major thematic areas. Under each major component, specific and
relevant training needs item were collected and systematically incorporated into
an interview schedule and administered in terms of frequency of training
imparted. Four districts were purposively selected for the study and a total of
eighty farmers were randomly selected from four districts. Primary data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that more male was
involved in farming and 45% farmers were middle age category (30-39 years).
Majority of the farmers completed primary level of education compared to other
categories and family size of more than half (60 %) of the respondents was
three. Majority number of respondents (57%) had more than 10 years farming
experience. A small number of farmers (8.75%) had owned agricultural land and
45% had land between 0.50- 1 hectare. More than 75% of annual gross income
of 57.50% farmers came from agricultural activities. More than half (55%) of
the respondents collected information on crop and its varieties by own attempt
while about 34% was informed from seed seller or dealer. Farmers in
Chattogram district had first priority to get training on integrated pest and
diseases management, production of bio control agents and bio pesticides,
marketing and transportation. Water management, integrated pest and disease
management, vermi-compost production, marketing and transportation ranked
first in Khagrachori district. The areas of priority for training in Rajshahi district
were production and management technology, processing and value addition,
marketing and transportation, integrated pest and disease management, water
management and vermi-compost production. Training on integrated pest and
disease management, bio-control of pests and diseases, production of bio control
agents and bio pesticides, production of off-season vegetables, vermi-compost
production, marketing and transportation were most emphasized by the
respondents in Rangpur district. Respondents defined identification of
adulterated fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide application, disease and insects of
mango varieties and fruit bagging system of mango as very good type of
training. The study concluded that there is an urgent need to design regular
training programs in identified thematic areas to fulfill the knowledge gap
among the farmers of Bangladesh.

1
Scientific Officer, Agricultural Economics Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701, 2Assistant Professor, Department of
Agricultural Finance, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh-2202,
3
Director (Research), BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701, 4Scientific Officer, Training and
Communication Wing, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.
DOI: http://
670 RAHMAN et al.

Keywords: Training needs, Crop production, Socio-demographics, Farmers,

Bangladesh.

Introduction
Training is a process of acquisition of new skills, attitude and knowledge in the
context of preparing for entry into a vocation or improving one’s productivity in
an organization or enterprise. Effective training requires a clear picture of how
the trainees will need to use information after training in place of local practices
what they have adopted before in their situation. Training does not mean
knowing more but behaving differently. Again training is acquisition of the best
way of utilizing knowledge and skill (Sajeev and Singha, 2010; Ajayi, 1995).
Training of farmers essentially contributes to human resource development in
agriculture. The basic needs of farmers are crop wise information viz., improved
seed, inter cultural operation, fertilizers, soil testing, irrigation, new implements,
plant protection measures, mushroom cultivation, poultry, animal husbandry and
credit information (Babu and Singh, 1986). Majority of the farmers had low
extension contact, poor credit orientation and medium farming knowledge. The
farmers had high need for training in agronomical practices for 2 to 4 days just
before the Kharif and rabi season (Chauhan and Kokate, 1986).
Bangladesh is an agro-based developing country and sustainability of agricultural
production is prerequisite for attaining the rate of overall growth of the economy.
Now, the question is how to increase the production. There can be two possible
approaches to enhance the production either by increasing the area under the crop
and by increasing the productivity per unit area per unit time. Since the crop area
expansion is not feasible anymore the only alternative is to adopt the better
management practices and use certain modern agricultural technologies which
include better seed technology, better fertilizer application, better pest control
measure and irrigation management through imparting need based training.
Training is an integral part of any development activity (Pandey et al., 2015).
Knowledge and skills of the farmers in agricultural technologies are important
factors for increased agricultural production. The factors like hard working,
dignity of labour and affection for the land are genetically prevailing among them
which are considered to be the fundamental assets of farmer. However, in spite of
high social values prevailing in these communities, they have remained
backward, underdeveloped or neglected due to the factor like lack of ambition,
lack of initiative, inadequate land holding, limited needs and orthodox behavior
(Barman et al., 2013). Most of the farmers do not possess adequate knowledge
about the methods of modern agriculture. They often become frustrated with new
practices in agriculture due to lack of proper understanding of the relevant
factors. As a result, they are often skeptical towards new ideas and practices in
agriculture.
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 671

National Agriculture Policy -2013 has asserted on the necessity of trained and
efficient farmer in order to assure crop production and food security issues of
Bangladesh. It also gave forces to facilitate training of farmers on modern crop
production techniques. It identified the paucities of farmers training as a strong
weakness of agriculture sector in Bangladesh. One of the mandates of
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute is to provide farmers with
information necessary for carrying out their farming business efficiently and
profitably. In this respect farmers training has no alternative. Different divisions
of BARI are providing a lot of training to farmers in each year in order to
disseminate new varieties and technologies at field level. The Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE) has been working with a view to providing
agricultural knowledge and skills to the farmers in Bangladesh.
Training needs assessment is one of the crucial steps towards identifying the area
of farmers’ interest, design and development of curriculum that can best suit to
the existing real conditions of farmers. Pholonngoe and Richard (1995)
underscored the necessity of need assessment while stating that if non-formal
education trainers hope to foster meaningful development, they should bear in
mind that the needs of adults constantly change. Thus, training assessment has to
be carried out to design relevant and need based training programs that can
accommodate changes over time. Barbazett (2006) noted that before any actual
training is conducted, the training institution must determine who, what, when,
where, why and how of training. Training needs assessment process helps
determine the priority of changes in knowledge, skill, attitude and behavior that
will provide the greatest impact on achieving organizational or individual goals.
Caffarela (2002) noted that a systematic process of farmers’ training must
include needs assessment, goal and objectives setting, organizing instructional
methods and techniques, monitoring and evaluation. Meenambigai and
Seetharaman (2003) asserted that training is the most singular factor affecting
individuals’ attitude, productivity, improvement, minimization of risks. So,
adequate training is essential for farmers to acquire necessary knowledge and
skills in different aspects of farming.
But very little research has been conducted regarding training need assessment of
farmers in Bangladesh. In view of the above discussion, the study attempted to
achieve the following specific objectives-
i. To examine the socio-demographic characteristics of farmers and
ii. To determine the extent of training needs of farmers’ in relation to
agriculture

Methodology
Description of the study area
The study had covered 4 districts of Bangladesh namely Rangpur, Rajshahi,
Chattogram and Khagrachori. These were purposively selected based on the
672 RAHMAN et al.

agro-ecological zones, and production potentials in diversified farming. Rangpur

is known as major vegetable growing district situated in northern part of
Bangladesh. The district is renowned in crop production for a number of reasons
viz., high cropping intensity (251%), acceptance of hybrid crop variety, skilled
farmer and availability of modern crop production techniques. Rajshahi is located
within Barind Tract, 23 m (75 ft) above sea level and has been built on the
alluvial planes of the Padma River. Apart from the usual agricultural products of
Bangladesh, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and lentils, Rajshahi is specially suited
for various crops such as mangoes, litchis, sugarcane, tomatoes and watermelons.
It’s cropping intensity is 190%. Chattogram is a major coastal city and financial
center in southeastern Bangladesh. It is situated on the banks of the Karnaphuli
River between the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Bay of Bengal. Though the
economy of Chittagong district is predominantly non-agricultural but it is also
enriched with a number of crops such as paddy, betel leaf, potato, corn, turmeric,
tea, peanut, mustard, pointed gourd, brinjal, ginger, cucumber and vegetables.
Khagrachori is a hilly area and includes a number of ethnic communities such as
Tripura, Chakma, Marma and Tanchangya. Most of the people live on Jhum
cultivation and 59.92% income come from agriculture (Wikipedia).

Sampling procedure
A multi stage stratified random sampling technique was followed to collect
farm level data. From each district one upazila and from each selected upazila
one village based on production potential of the different farming system was
drawn up purposively for inclusion in the present study. Farmers were selected
based on their intimacy with the DAE and BARI to ensure the farmers of this
area well exposed about various agricultural development and latest
technologies. On consultation with DAE and BARI personnel, a list of farmers
representing different categories was prepared for each village. From the
individual list of farmers from selected village, five farmers were randomly
selected which made twenty farmers from each district. They were different in
farming activities, land holding size and also in different socioeconomic
attributes. Thus a total of 80 farmers were finally selected for data collection
from 4 districts. The identified districts were coming from six agro-climatic
zones of Bangladesh (Table 1).
Table 1. Agro-ecological zone wise coverage of the selected districts
Agro-ecological zone (AEZ) AEZ No. Districts
Active Tista Floodplain AEZ 2 Rangpur
North Eastern Barind Tract AEZ 27
Lower Atrai Basin AEZ 5 Rajshahi
High Barind Tract AEZ 26
Chittagong Coastal Plains AEZ 23 Chattogram
Northern and Eastern Hill AEZ 29 Khagrachori
Source: BBS, 2017
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 673

Analytical procedure
Data collection from randomly selected respondents was done by using pre-tested
structured schedule through personal interview method. The duration of data
collection was February to March 2016. For analyzing the data, descriptive
statistics such as percentages, rank order and scoring techniques were used to
achieve the objectives and to get meaningful results. In most cases, tabular
method of analysis supported with appropriate statistical parameters was used to
present the results of the study. A list of thematic areas and specific and relevant
training need items under each area was prepared and collected through different
review of literature, discussion with DAE and BARI staff as well as own field
experiences
In this study, the farmer’s responses were collected in a 3– point continuum scale
as Very Important (VI), Important (I) and Not Important (NI) by assigning scores
3, 2 and 1 respectively. The results were calculated as weighted score for each of
the thrust area identified for the training.
(No. of VI × 3) + (No. of I × 2) + (No. of NI × 1)
Weighted score (WS) =
Total No. of VI + I + NI
Where,
VI = Very Important, I = Important and NI = Not Important
Weighted Score ranged from 1 to 6.

Results and Discussions

Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents
Table 2 shows that majority of respondents (97.50%) were male. The age
distribution of respondents was fairly evenly spread over the various age groups,
with the highest (45%) representation found in the 30 to 39 categories. Table 2
also shows that only 8.75% were above 50 years. It revealed that most of the
farmers belonged to active age group.
About 16.25% of the respondents had no formal education, 36.25% had not
completed primary school, 45% had completed primary school and 2.50% had
completed secondary school. No respondents reported having tertiary education.
These findings suggest that many farmers in the target groups were illiterate or
have low literacy levels, which will impact on their ability to access different
types of crop production training and information. This should be important to
consider when developing training modules for farmers. The Table 2 also
revealed that 60% of the farmers had three family members which is lower than
average size of households (4.06) in Bangladesh (HIES, 2016). The reduction in
the household size indicates that respondents prefer smaller families.
674 RAHMAN et al.

Table 2. Profile of the respondent farmers in the survey areas

% of
Characteristics Frequency
respondents
Sex
Male 78 97.50
Female 2 2.50
Age (years)
Less than 30 11 13.75
30-39 36 45.00
40-49 26 32.50
Above 50 07 8.75
Education
No formal education 13 16.25
Not finished primary school 29 36.25
Completed primary school 36 45.00
Completed secondary school 2 2.50
Household size (No. of members)
2 17 21.25
3 48 60.00
4 or more 15 18.75
Source: Field survey 2016
Farming experience varied among the sample respondents. About 40% had been
farming for 10-20 years and 31.25% had more than 20 years farming experience
(Table 3).Majority of the respondents (45%) had 0.5 to 1 hectares of agricultural
land while 36.25% of the respondents were having less than half hectares’
agricultural land in the survey area. In terms of ownership status, 8.75% of
respondents owned their agricultural land, while 71.25% part own and part lease
basis (Table 3). This clearly shows that a large proportion of respondents are
smallholders and lease farmers, thus they would not be likely to invest in training
and technology if other conditions are right.
The survey revealed a significant difference in the percentage of annual income
gained from agricultural activities by the respondents. About 3.75% of
respondents obtained less than 25% of their income from agriculture, 12.50 %
obtained between 25 to 50 %, 26.25 % acquired between 51 to 75 %, and 57.50
% gained more than 75 % of their annual income from agriculture (Table 3).
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 675

Sources of other means of income were not explored in the survey, but during
focus group discussions participants shared that the other source of income in the
survey areas was mainly business. The proportion of income coming from other
off-farm sources remains limited. Households diversified their income and were
less reliant on agriculture day by day for economic development. While this is
perhaps positive, it also means that farmers whose total household income is less
reliant on agriculture may be less likely to invest time and money in training and
technology. Most of the respondents (55%) gathered information by their own
attempts and 27 % got information from seed dealer and only 3% from officials
of BARI. Department of Agricultural Extension is working relentlessly for the
overall agricultural development of Bangladesh. It is also an important source to
get a wide variety of knowledge by farmers while the figure for the present study
was only 7.5%.
Training needs of the sample households
The major training needs components identified for the study were field crop
production, crop protection, soil health and fertility management, vegetable
production, plantation crops, tuber crops, on farm production of inputs,
agricultural engineering, marketing and transportation etc. The district-wise
training needs of the farmers are presented in the form of weighted scores in the
Tables 4-7. Weighted Scores in the range of 1 – 3 were ranked within each
discipline and the first six rankings were identified as training needs of the
farmers of the area. The areas which got 1, 2 and 3 rank orders were considered
as main important areas of training. The following are the thematic areas where
there are high training needs among the farmers of Chattogram, Khagrachori,
Rajshahi and Rangpur district of Bangladesh.
Field Crop Production: It refers to acquire knowledge and skill about
principals and practice of crop production, protecting from weeds and field
management. Training on seed production was the most sought after by farmers
in Chattogram district followed by water management of the field crops and
training on crop diversification (Table 4). Training on weed management in
field crops, nursery management practice, integrated farming and cropping
systems also closely followed. In Khagrachori district water management and
integrated farming were the most important need in crop production area (Table
5) which was also burning issue in Rajshahi district (Table 6). Integrated
farming was regarded as the most important training area under crop production
in Rangpur district (Table7). Development of quality training on integrated
farming system is, therefore, a prerequisite for profitable farming in these
regions.
676 RAHMAN et al.

Table 3. Distribution of respondents according to selected farming characteristics

Characteristics Frequency %
Farming experience (years)
Less than 10 years 23 28.75
10-20 years 32 40.00
Above 20 years 25 31.25
Size of agricultural land (hectares)
No land - 0.00
Less than half 29 36.25
0.5 to 1 36 45.00
More than 1 15 18.75
Land ownership status
Own all 7 8.75
Lease all 16 20.00
Part own/part lease 57 71.25
Percentage of yearly income from agricultural activities
Less than 25 per cent 3 3.75
25 to 50 per cent 10 12.50
51 to 75 per cent 21 26.25
More than 75 per cent 46 57.50
Ways of information about crops and varieties
Own Attempts 44 55.00
Seed Seller or dealer in the area 27 33.75
DAE through SAAO 6 7.50
Officials of BARI 3 3.75
Source: Field survey 2016
Crop Protection: It refers to one's need for gaining understanding and skill
about the different aspects of insect control, namely, name of insect and
disease, symptoms of attack, and nature of damage and control measures
against each insect and disease pest (Alam, 2006). Training on integrated pest
and disease management of the crops was the most important training need in
plant protection followed by control of pest and disease by use of biological
agents among the respondents of four districts (Table 4, 5, 6 & 7). This is
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 677

attributed to the fact that farmers resort to over usage of fertilizers and
pesticides/fungicides. Impact of excess application of those chemicals in the
long run is ignored by them. But the farmers in the study area have realized the
importance of integrated pest management in agriculture for sustainable
production and development.
Soil Health and Fertility Management: The term refers to one's need for
gaining understanding and skill about the different aspects of soil and
fertilizer, namely, soil and water conservation, use of fertilizers, functions of
different fertilizers, doses of fertilizers and procedure for applying fertilizers
which are necessary for successful cultivation (Alam, 2006). Under Soil
health and fertility management in Chattogram district, technologies for soil
and water conservation and management of problematic soils were the most
needed followed by technology for soil fertility management (Table 4). In
Khagrachori district soil fertility management and management of
problematic soils were regarded very important. On the other hand,
respondents of Rajshahi and Rangpur districts select soil and water
conservation as their training need in this area of interest. This isdue to
continuous practice of unscientific methods of farming coupled with
injudicious use of chemical fertilizers that led to soil degradation. This calls
for immediate control measures and proper management practices against
further degradation of soil fertility.
Vegetable Production: In vegetables sector of Chattogram and Khagrachori
district, production of off-season vegetables and vegetables grading and
standardization topped the list whereas in Rajshahi and Rangpur the important
training need were producing off season vegetables and production of low
volume and high value crops (Table 4, 5, 6 & 7). The identified training needs of
farmers under vegetable sector in these areas shouldfind a place in planning and
designing training programmes.
Plantation Crops: Processing and value addition was the most desired training
rather production and management technology of plantation crops in Chattogram
district followed by Rangpur district (Table 4&7). But this is totally ignored by
the respondents of other two districts.
Tuber crops: Training on tuber crop production technology and it’s processing
and value addition were regarded important among the respondents of all the
districts (Table 4, 5, 6 & 7).
On farm production of agricultural inputs: Training on production of Vermi-
compost, bio fertilizers and bio pesticides were still hot topics among the
farmers. These reflect that farmers are so much reluctant to use chemical
fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides in farming. So they demanded more and
678 RAHMAN et al.

more training on these areas as day by day they are informed about the bad
effects of these chemicals.
Agricultural engineering: Training on post-harvest technology of vegetables
and fruits was the most important need under agricultural engineering in Rangpur
district.
Besides these, curiosities to learn how to make efficient marketing was also very
high among the respondents of all the four districts (Table 4, 5,6 & 7). Every
respondent wants a suitable market in which they can sell their product safely
and free from the middlemen.
Table 4. Training needs of farmers in Chattogram district
Chittagong district (n = 20)
Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Field Crop Production
Weed Management 0 3 17 1.15
Cropping system 4 6 10 1.70
Water management 10 6 4 2.30
Integrated farming 6 9 5 2.05
Seed production 12 5 3 2.45
Crop diversification 8 7 5 2.15
Nursery management practice 0 9 11 1.45
Crop Protection
Integrated pest management 20 0 0 3.00
Integrated disease management 20 0 0 3.00
Bio-control of pests and diseases 19 1 0 2.95
Production of bio control agents and bio pesticides 20 0 0 3.00
Soil health and fertility management
Soil fertility management 16 4 0 2.80
Soil and Water conservation 20 0 0 3.00
Management of problematic soils 18 2 0 2.90
Soil and water testing 2 7 11 1.55
Integrated nutrient management 6 3 11 1.75
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 679

Chittagong district (n = 20)

Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Fertilizer Application 16 4 0 2.80
Vegetable production
Production of low volume and high value crops 5 8 7 1.90
Production of off-season vegetables 16 4 - 2.80
Exotic vegetables production 2 6 12 1.50
Seedling raising 0 5 12 1.10
Export potential vegetables 12 5 3 2.45
Vegetables grading and standardization 16 4 0 2.80
Protective cultivation(green house, shade house) 0 7 13 1.35
Training and pruning 0 5 15 1.25
Plantation crops
Production and management technology 4 11 5 1.95
Processing and value addition 18 2 0 2.90
Tuber crops
Production and management technology 19 1 0 2.95
Processing and value addition 19 1 0 2.95
On farm production of inputs
Bio-agents production 13 6 1 2.60
Bio-pesticides production 14 5 1 2.65
Bio-fertilizer production 15 5 0 2.75
Vermi-compost production 18 2 0 2.90
Agricultural Engineering
Repair and maintenance of farm machinery and 0 2 18
implements 1.10
Post-harvest technology of vegetables and fruits 0 12 8 1.60
Marketing and Transportation 20 0 0 3.00
Source: Field survey 2016
(-) indicates not under ranking
680 RAHMAN et al.

Table 5. Training Needs of farmers in Khagrachori district

Khagrachori district (n =20)
Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Crop Production
Weed Management 0 0 20 1.00
Cropping system 13 5 2 2.55
Water management 20 0 0 3.00
Integrated farming 14 6 0 2.70
Seed production 1 14 5 1.80
Crop diversification 0 9 11 1.45
Nursery management practice 0 4 16 1.20
Crop Protection
Integrated pest management 20 0 0 3.00
Integrated disease management 20 0 0 3.00
Bio-control of pests and diseases 13 7 0 2.65
Production of bio control agents and bio pesticides 16 4 0 2.80
Soil health and fertility management
Soil fertility management 17 3 0 2.85
Soil and Water conservation 5 12 3 2.10
Management of problematic soils 20 0 0 3.00
Soil and water testing 0 0 20 1.00
Integrated nutrient management 0 13 7 1.65
Fertilizer application 19 1 0 2.95
Vegetable production
Production of low volume and high value crops 0 5 15 1.25
Production of off-season vegetables 12 4 4 2.40
Exotic vegetables production 0 0 20 1.00
Seedling raising 0 9 11 1.45
Export potential vegetables 0 0 20 1.00
Vegetables grading and standardization 10 3 7 2.15
Protective cultivation(green house, shade house) 0 7 13 1.35
Training and pruning 0 5 15 1.25
Plantation crop
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 681

Khagrachori district (n =20)

Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Production and management technology 0 0 20 1.00
Processing and value addition 0 0 20 1.00
Tuber crops
Production and management technology 14 6 0 2.70
Processing and value addition 11 3 6 2.25
On farm production of inputs
Bio-agents production 14 2 4 2.50
Bio-pesticides production 15 2 3 2.60
Bio-fertilizer production 15 5 0 2.75
Vermi-compost production 20 0 0 3.00
Agricultural Engineering
Repair and maintenance of farm machinery and 0 6 14
implements 1.30
Post-harvest technology of vegetables and fruits 8 0 12 1.80
Marketing and Transportation 20 0 0 3.00
Source: Field survey 2016
(-) indicates not under ranking
Table 6. Training needs of farmers in Rajshahi District
Rajshahi district (n = 20)
Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Crop Production
Weed Management 0 0 20 1.00
Cropping system 0 11 9 1.55
Water management 16 4 0 2.80
Integrated farming 13 4 3 2.50
Seed production 0 8 12 1.40
Crop diversification 0 13 7 1.65
Nursery management practice 0 0 20 1.00
Crop Protection
Integrated pest management 16 4 0 2.80
Integrated disease management 19 1 0 2.95
682 RAHMAN et al.

Rajshahi district (n = 20)

Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Bio-control of pests and diseases 8 11 1 2.35
Production of bio control agents and bio 9 7 4
pesticides 2.25
Soil health and fertility management
Soil fertility management 0 10 10 1.50
Soil and Water conservation 12 4 4 2.40
Management of problematic soils 9 11 0 2.45
Soil and water testing 0 0 20 1.00
Integrated nutrient management 0 7 13 1.35
Fertilizer application 7 13 0 2.35
Vegetable production
Production of low volume and high value crops 15 5 0 2.75
Production of off-season vegetables 11 4 5 2.30
Exotic vegetables production 0 0 20 1.00
Seedling raising 0 0 20 1.00
Export potential vegetables 0 0 20 1.00
Vegetables grading and standardization 0 7 13 1.35
Protective cultivation(green house, shade house) 0 13 7 1.65
Training and pruning 0 0 20 1.00
Plantation crop
Production and management technology 0 0 20 1.00
Processing and value addition 0 0 20 1.00
Tuber crops
Production and management technology 20 0 0 3.00
Processing and value addition 20 0 0 3.00
On farm production of inputs
Bio-agents production 5 7 8 1.85
Bio-pesticides production 12 5 3 2.45
Bio-fertilizer production 3 11 6 1.85
Vermi-compost production 16 4 0 2.80
Agricultural Engineering
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 683

Rajshahi district (n = 20)

Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Repair and maintenance of farm machinery and 0 6 14
implements 1.30
Post-harvest technology of vegetables and fruits 4 13 3 2.05
Marketing and Transportation 20 0 0 3.00
Source: Field survey 2016
(-) indicates not under ranking
Table 7. Training needs of farmers in Rangpur district
Rangpur district (n = 20)
Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Crop Production
Weed Management 0 3 17 1.15
Cropping system 12 8 0 2.60
Water management 0 14 6 1.70
Integrated farming 16 4 0 2.80
Seed production 11 9 0 2.55
Crop diversification 0 13 7 1.65
Nursery management practice 0 9 11 1.45
Crop Protection
Integrated pest management 20 0 0 3.0
Integrated disease management 20 0 0 3.0
Bio-control of pests and diseases 20 0 0 3.0
Production of bio control agents and bio pesticides 20 0 0 3.0
Soil health and fertility management
Soil fertility management 4 16 0 2.20
Soil and Water conservation 11 9 0 2.55
Management of problematic soils 3 14 3 2.00
Soil and water testing 0 0 20 1.00
Integrated nutrient management 0 11 9 1.55
Fertilizer Application 16 4 0 2.80
Vegetable production
Production of low volume and high value crops 9 8 3 2.30
684 RAHMAN et al.

Rangpur district (n = 20)

Thematic Area
VI I NI WS
Production of off-season vegetables 20 0 0 3.00
Exotic vegetables production 0 0 20 1.00
Seedling raising 0 8 12 1.40
Export potential vegetables 7 6 7 2.00
Vegetables grading and standardization 7 8 5 2.10
Protective cultivation(green house, shade house) 0 0 20 1.00
Training and pruning 0 0 20 1.00
Plantation crop
Production and management technology 0 11 9 1.55
Processing and value addition 8 5 7 2.05
Tuber crops
Production and management technology 13 7 0 2.65
Processing and value addition 13 7 0 2.65
On farm production of inputs
Bio-agents production 8 8 4 2.20
Bio-pesticides production 6 5 9 1.85
Bio-fertilizer production 18 2 0 2.90
Vermi-compost production 20 0 0 3.00
Agricultural Engineering
Repair and maintenance of farm machinery and 0 2 18 1.10
implements
Post-harvest technology of vegetables and fruits 17 3 0 2.85
Marketing and Transportation 20 0 0 3.00
Source: Field survey 2016
(-) indicates not under ranking

Comparative evaluation of training needs of farmers

Training needs on integrated pest and diseases management, production of bio
control agents and bio pesticides, marketing and transportation ranked top
followed by bio-control of pests and diseases, production and management
technology, processing and value addition, vermi-compost production while soil
fertility management, fertilizer application, production of off-season vegetables,
vegetables grading and standardization come last on the ranking list in
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 685

Chattogram district (Table 9).One the other hand water management, integrated
pest and disease management, vermi-compost production, marketing and
transportation were main training areas in Khagrachori district as it is apparent
from the weighted score values likewise, the training needs areas ranked in
descending order were fertilizer application, soil fertility management,
production of bio control agents and bio pesticides respectively (Table 9).
Besides areas of training needs indicated by the respondents of Rajshahi district
in order of preference were production and management technology, processing
and value addition, marketing and transportation, integrated disease management,
water management, integrated pest management, vermi-compost production and
production of low volume and high value crops in descending order (Table 8). In
Rangpur district, integrated pest and disease management, bio-control of pests
and diseases, production of bio control agents and bio pesticides, production of
off-season vegetables, vermi-compost production, marketing and transportation
were topped the list while training on bio-fertilizer production was the most
sought after one (Table 8). Comparing training needs of four districts, integrated
pest and diseases management, vermi-compost production, marketing and
transportation areas emerged as important ones. Similar finding was observed in
Barman et al. (2013) who reported fertilizer management, seed treatment, pest
and disease management, water management and marketing were the important
training need area where majority farmers had high level of training need.
Table 8. Comparative evaluation of training needs of farmers in four districts
Chattogram Khagrachori Rajshahi Rangpur
Thematic Area
WS Rank WS Rank WS Rank WS Rank
Field Crop Production
Weed Management 1.15 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.15 -
Cropping system 1.70 - 2.55 - 1.55 - 2.60 6
Water management 2.30 - 3.00 1 2.80 3 1.70 -
Integrated farming 2.05 - 2.70 6 2.50 5 2.80 4
Seed production 2.45 - 1.80 - 1.40 - 2.55 -
Crop diversification 2.15 - 1.45 - 1.65 - 1.65 -
Nursery management practice 1.45 - 1.20 - 1.00 - 1.45 -
Crop Protection -
Integrated pest management 3.00 1 3.00 1 2.80 3 3.0 1
Integrated disease management 3.00 1 3.00 1 2.95 2 3.0 1
Bio-control of pests and diseases 2.95 2 2.65 - 2.35 - 3.0 1
Production of bio control agents 3.00 1 2.80 4 2.25 - 3.0 1
and bio pesticides
Soil health and fertility
management
Soil fertility management 2.80 4 2.85 3 1.50 - 2.20 -
686 RAHMAN et al.

Chattogram Khagrachori Rajshahi Rangpur

Thematic Area
WS Rank WS Rank WS Rank WS Rank
Soil and Water conservation 3.00 - 2.10 - 2.40 - 2.55 -
Management of problematic soils 2.90 3 3.00 1 2.45 6 2.00 -
Soil and water testing 1.55 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 -
Integrated nutrient management 1.75 - 1.65 - 1.35 - 1.55 -
Fertilizer Application 2.80 4 2.95 2 2.35 - 2.80 4
Vegetable production
Production of low volume and 1.90 - 1.25 - 2.75 4 2.30 -
high value crops
Production of off-season 2.80 4 2.40 - 2.30 - 3.00 1
vegetables
Exotic vegetables production 1.50 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 -
Seedling raising 1.10 - 1.45 - 1.00 - 1.40 -
Export potential vegetables 2.45 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 2.00 -
Vegetables grading and 2.80 4 2.15 - 1.35 - 2.10 -
standardization
Protective cultivation (green 1.35 - 1.35 - 1.65 - 1.00 -
house, shade house)
Training and pruning 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.00 - 1.00 -
Plantation crops
Production and management 1.95 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.55 -
technology
Processing and value addition 2.90 3 1.00 - 1.00 - 2.05 -
Tuber crops
Production and management 2.95 2 2.70 - 3.00 1 2.65 5
technology
Processing and value addition 2.95 2 2.25 - 3.00 1 2.65 5
On farm production of inputs
Bio-agents production 2.60 - 2.50 - 1.85 - 2.20 -
Bio-pesticides production 2.65 6 2.60 - 2.45 6 1.85 -
Bio-fertilizer production 2.75 5 2.75 5 1.85 - 2.90 2
Vermi-compost production 2.90 3 3.00 1 2.80 3 3.00 1
Agricultural Engineering
Repair and maintenance of farm 1.10 - 1.30 - 1.30 - 1.10 -
machinery and implements
Post-harvest technology of 1.60 - 1.80 - 2.05 - 2.85 3
vegetables and fruits
Marketing and Transportation 3.00 1 3.00 1 3.00 1 3.00 1
Source: Field survey 2016. (-) indicates not under ranking
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 687

Training received by the respondents

A limited number of training was provided by the Department of Agricultural
Extension and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). The present
study was identified randomly some of the training that was provided by the
DAE and BARI among the respondents of four districts. Duration of most of the
training was one day mainly. In Rangpur district, the number of respondents
received training was highest. Out of 20 respondents in Rajshahi district, only 9
received training whereas it is only 4 to the other two districts out of 20
respondents (Table 9). But the current study found their deep interest on
receiving training on different crops. Respondents of Rajshahi district wanted
training on papaya, wheat, eggplant and chili production practices. Training on
tomato, bitter gourd, cauliflower, felon, coriander was demanded by the
respondents of Chittagong region. At the same time respondents of Khagrachori
district demanded training on turmeric, zinger, mango cultivation following by
litchi, mango, zinger, turmeric, and groundnut and potato production practices in
Rangpur district (Table 9).
Table 9. Training received and demand for training by the sample farmers
No. of
Name of Total no. of respondents Crops on which training should
District respondents received be delivered
training
Rajshahi 20 9 Papaya, Wheat, Eggplant, Chili,
Potato
Chittagong 20 4 Tomato, Bitter gourd,
Cauliflower, Felon, Coriander
Khagrachori 20 4 Turmeric, Zinger, Eggplant,
Mango, Rice, Bitter gourd
Rangpur 20 13 Litchi, Mango, Zinger, Turmeric,
Groundnut and Potato
Source: Field survey 2016
Respondents of the present study received a number of training from DAE
and BARI. Table 10 shows a list of different training programs received by
the sample farmers and their ranking as very good, good and poor.
Identification of adulterated fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide, disease and
insects of mango varieties, bagging system of mango, insecticide and
pesticide application, vegetables production techniques as very good type of
training (Table 10). Beside this, production technology of potato and pumpkin
and seedlings preparation considered as poor type of training among the
survey respondents.
688 RAHMAN et al.

Table 10. Training received by the sample farmer

Organizing Duration
Subject matter of Training Grade
Agency (Days)
Seed conservation DAE 3 Good
Modern rice cultivation DAE 2 Good
Identification of adulterated fertilizer, insecticide DAE 1 Very Good
and pesticide
Disease and insects of mango varieties BARI 2 Very Good
ToT on rice DAE 3 Good
Rice cultivation technique DAE 1 Good
Production technology of mango BARI 1 Good
Fruit bagging system of mango BARI 1 Very Good
Fertilizer application to mango BARI 1 Good
Pulse crop production technology DAE 5 Good
Insecticide and pesticide application BARI 3 Very Good
Production technology of potato and pumpkin DAE 1 Poor
Seed production and preservation DAE 1 Good
Fertilizer application and weed management DAE 1 Poor
Seed production of BRRI dhan 28 DAE 1 Good
Rice production technology DAE 1 Good
Seedlings preparation DAE 1 Poor
Turmeric and zinger production DAE 1 Good
Seedlings of fruits preparation BARI 1 Good
Insect and pest management DAE 1 Good
Disease, insect and pest management DAE 1 Good
Vegetables production techniques DAE 1 Very good
Rearing mango orchard DAE 1 Good
Source: Field survey 2016

Conclusion
All the sample respondents of the present study opined that training is very
essential for making their crop production more efficient and profitable. But
inadequacy of training is very common even in most crop intensive districts of
Bangladesh. Farmers emphasized to get training on integrated farming systems
and water management for field crop production. Integrated disease management
attained the top most priority followed by integrated pest management under
training on crop protection. Management of problematic soils and fertilizer
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS ON CROP PRODUCTION 689

application were most needed training under soil health and fertility management
while training with respect to production of off-season vegetables was the most
important one under vegetable production. Training on tuber crops cultivation
was also in high demand for areas of production and management technology,
processing and value addition of tuber crops. Vermi-compost production secured
the top most position in the list under on- farm production of inputs followed by
bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers production. Marketing and transportation
accorded highest response from the farmers in four districts in the assessment of
training needs. A number of training in the survey area was identified as very
useful for the farmer while some were regarded as poor in quality and necessity.
It indicates a gap in farmer’s knowhow and actual information which needs to be
addressed through designing and developing a training module. The BARI and
DAE can reorient their training schedule and subject matter based on these
findings to enrich farmer’s knowledge on improved crop production techniques.

Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are
suggested:
 An extensive research programme should be conducted covering all the
intensive crop growing areas of Bangladesh to identify the appropriate crop
production needs of farmers.
 DAE should arrange training progrmme based on the necessity of the
farmers. Otherwise, it will not bring any positive outcome in the crop
production systems of Bangladesh. Training identified as not very good
should be discarded and good one should be developed with current
information and knowledge.
 Much emphasis should be paid on integrated farming systems, integrated pest
and disease management and technologies for soil and water conservation
while planning and designing training programmes for farmers.
 Both extensive and intensive hand on-training programmes should be
emphasized for farmers through proper assessment of their training needs.
 The concerned different centers and divisions of BARI should pay relatively
higher emphasis and care on those specific most important needs, as
identified by this study through concerted efforts while formulating different
training module for the farmers in hills and plain areas as well as different
agro-climatic and farming system areas of Bangladesh.
 Farmers regular contact with BARI avail themselves with latest crop
production techniques and information. So, BARI should increase their
farmers training and field day workshops in different agro ecological zone of
Bangladesh.
 690 RAHMAN et al.

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