FARMERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS RICE PRODUCTION IN SELECTED AREAS OF MYMENSINGH DISTRICT

The study attempted to examine farmers’ attitudes towards rice production and also to identify factors influencing the attitudes. A total of 100 rice producers were selected purposively from four unions of Phulpur Upazila under Mymensingh district. Data were collected from mid-September to mid-October 2017 through face to face interview method. Five point Likert scale was used to examine farmers’ attitudes towards rice production. A multiple regression model was used to examine whether there are influencing factors (socio-economic characteristics) on the farmers’ attitudes towards rice production. By using the Likert scale, total score value for individual farmers was calculated and it was found that most of the farmers’ (98 percent) attitudes towards rice production were favored; and only 2 percent were un-favored attitudes towards rice production in the study area. Average score value for the individual statements were also estimated and found that score value was less than three for only three statements out of 20 statements, it also proved that most of the cases (85 per cent) farmer’s attitudes were favored towards rice production. The study found that level of education, occupation and farm size had significant influences on the farmers’ attitudes towards rice production