Muhammad Asif Naveed

Information Needs of Rural Pakistani Farmers: an Exploratory Study in Saleempur Village Muhammad Asif Naveed

The purpose of this study was to explore information needs of farmers residing in Saleempur village. A semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection. Face-to-face interviews of male adults, between the ages of 25 and 65 years and actively participating in farming activities, were conducted by visiting their homes and farms. Descriptive statistics, e.g. frequency and percentage, were applied in order to analyze data. The information needs of farmers residing in the Saleempur village were related to their fundamental socio-economic issues such as income generation, health, etc. They depended mainly on inter-personal relationships in meeting their information needs. The role of mass-media and printed materials as sources of information was found to be very low. Lack of timely access, low level of education, and language barrier were the main problem that the rural citizens faced while getting their required information. All the respondents showed their intention to use public library, if it would be made available in the village. The findings of this study will be helpful in planning and designing need-based information infrastructure for rural communities.