Factors Affecting Farmers’ Uses of Information Sources in Vietnam

Abstract

Every information source has advantages and disadvantages for delivering certain types of information. However information sources have generally been recognized as tools that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agriculture as collecting and distributing agricultural information is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that explain the variation among farmers in their use of information sources based on household (farm)-level data. The results show that household income, farm size, household size, educational attainment, and off-farm jobs are the most important factors influencing the use of media and personal information sources. The implications of these results are introducing and encouraging more off-farm jobs for farmers. As such, the provincial government and extension agents are recommended to work more effectively to enhance and help farmers diversifying crops and applying technologies. It is also important to improve the quantity and quality of extension services. The results also suggest that adjusting policies for reducing the gap among districts are needed, and farmers’ education should focus on training for agricultural knowledge, social activities, governmental policies, as well as, using informational sources, such as the Internet, computers, etc.