Spice growers in the digital age: An exploration of information seeking behavior in Kalimpong district

In Kalimpong, over 80% of the population relies on farming for their livelihood. However, area and production for spices have decreased compared to 2017-18 or before that. Despite the increasing use of technology in agriculture, lack of access to real-time data on soil health, weather conditions, and crop requirements hinders farmers' ability to optimize inputs and maximize yields. To address these challenges, it is crucial to prioritize research on availability and access of information to spice growers. Thus, a study has been conducted to find out sources and channels of information to explore the Information Seeking Behavior (ISB) of Spice Growers in Kalimpong District. The present study was conducted in Kalimpong district in West Bengal. The blocks and district were selected purposively. Simple random sampling technique was followed for selecting the respondents. A total of two hundred (200) spices growers were selected for the study. The data was collected with the help of structured interview schedule through physical interview method. Frequency, percentage, mean, range, ranking, weighted mean score methods were extensively used to analyse the collected data. The study suggests a potential challenge related to the aging workforce in spice cultivation and relatively low levels of education among the spice growers. They heavily rely on localite sources (fellow farmers, relatives, friends, neighbours) for information. Cosmopolite sources (ADA, KVK personnel, extension functionaries) are the least preferred. Crop protection and production technologies are the most pressing concerns, while weather/market forecasts and government policies/schemes are of less immediate interest.