Perception of livestock farmers towards social media as an information source in Andhra Pradesh

Information has become the fifth key factor of production, a crucial element in livestock farming decisions. India’s livestock sector contributes significantly to GVA, supports millions and leads in milk production. Andhra Pradesh excels in egg, meat and milk production. With digital expansion, social media platforms are increasingly bridging the extension gaps through real-time, participatory communication. An ex-post-facto research design was employed to examine livestock farmers perception of social media in Andhra Pradesh. The state, comprising Rayalaseema, Coastal and North Coastal regions, was purposively sampled to include nine districts with the highest livestock populations. From each district, three mandals were randomly selected, yielding 27 mandals overall. A total of 540 respondents were selected, comprising 180 dairy farmers, 180 sheep/goat farmers and 180 backyard poultry farmers with 20 farmers drawn from each mandal. Only farmers with prior exposure to at least one social media platform were considered for the study. Perception levels were assessed through 18 statements rated on a five-point Likert scale with positive items scored from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1) and negative items reverse-scored. Data collection was conducted using a structured interview schedule and analysed with appropriate statistical tools. Results indicated that 64.63 percent of farmers held a medium perception of social media while 18.70 percent exhibited high and 16.67 percent low perception (Mean = 70.62; SD = 8.10). The predominance of medium perception reflects cautious but emerging acceptance, shaped by literacy and resourcefulness, yet constrained by digital skill gaps and connectivity limitations.