Perceptions and behavioral intentions of paddy farmers toward digital extension tools for agricultural information: a comparative study of leaflets, voice recordings, and video under the yaya program

Abstract

This study assessed paddy farmers’ perceptions and behavioral intentions toward digital extension tools: digital leaflets, voice recordings, and videos for agricultural information under the Yaya Program in Galle district, Sri Lanka, using a stratified random sample of 1,130 farmers and a pre-tested questionnaire. The analytical approach included descriptive statistics, reliability assessment, repeated-measures ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Participants rated videos and digital leaflets more effective than voice recordings, with videos being most favored for clarity, engagement, and comprehension. The constructs exhibited excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values spanning from 0.857 to 0.978. Regression results indicated that attitudes, output quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and subjective norms significantly influenced farmers’ behavioral intention to adopt digital extension tools. In contrast, individual innovativeness generally did not significantly predict adoption. The findings highlight the importance of digital extension tools in agricultural extension and suggest that policymakers and extension officers should prioritize video-based digital extension tools, complemented by digital leaflets and voice-recording-based digital extension tools, to maximize adoption and reach among diverse paddy farmer populations in Sri Lanka.