An Empirical Study on Agricultural information and livelihoods sources of family farmers in the Punjab, Pakistan

Author(s) : Safdar Ali , Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Muhammad Iftikhar, Rana Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Sajid

Digital object identifier:

https://doi.org/10.52587/JAF060112

Abstract:

Family farmers require up-to-date agricultural information to transition from traditional to modern practices and succeed in the evolving agricultural landscape. This study, conducted in Nankana Sahib, with its largest tehsil selected as the focus area, utilized a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected from 360 respondents through snowball sampling and analyzed using SPSS. Correlation analysis was performed to assess relationships between variables. The study revealed that fellow farmers (score = 1711, mean = 3.25) were the primary source of agricultural information for family farmers. Other significant sources included the public agriculture sector (score = 890, mean = 2.5), veterinary assistants (score = 825, mean = 2.3), and the private sector (score = 730, mean = 2.0). All respondents engaged in farming for both family and commercial purposes. The study highlighted the importance of fellow farmers as the primary source of agricultural knowledge, while public and private sectors, particularly extension services, also played a significant role. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.663) was identified between income and owned land. These findings are critical for policymakers and extension agents to improve communication channels and promote sustainable agricultural practices.