Abstract:
The changing scenario in agriculture, economy and communication has also increased the need for improving the skills of extension personnel. The first step in improving the skills of extension personnel will be to assess their training needs. The present study was conducted in the Department of Agriculture in the three districts of Meghalaya viz. Ri Shoi, Jaintia Hills and West Garo Hills to find out the training needs of the extension personnel under the Agriculture Department. The respondents are the Agricultural Demonstrators and the Horticultural Demonstrators. A total number of 70 demonstrators from the three districts were selected for the study. Interview Schedule was used to collect data from the respondents and collected information was subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. The study revealed that all of the demonstrators were male (100%) in between 33 - 44 years of age (67.14%) and Class XII passed (61.43%). They had a family size of 4 - 6 (67.43%) and come from a rural background (40%). They had medium exposure to training (54.29%) and mass media (68.57%). Their service length ranges from 7 - 20 years (71.43%), medium level of job performance (60%) and perceived a favourable organizational climate towards their department (61.43%). The study also revealed that an equal percentage of extension personnel had low (48.57%) and medium (48.57%) level of training needs. The important training need areas in order of importance are Soil Science, Entomology, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, Nematology and Horticulture. Correlation analysis shown that age, service length, job performance and training exposure had negative and significant correlation with training needs. Stepwise multiple regression R2 being 0.3775 revealed that 37.75 per cent of the variation in the dependent variable is contributed by the independent variables. Stepwise multiple regression also suggests that training exposure and job performance are significant and R2 for these two variables being 0.2905 suggests that these two variables jointly contribute to 29.05 per cent variation towards training needs of extension personnel. The major problems faced by the extension personnel are lack of descriptional facilities, lack of tools/AV aids/leTs, lack of location specific technologies, lack of transport facilities, nonavailability of inputs in time, more office work than field work, lack of scientific literature, lack of training allowances, lack of recognition, lack of co-ordination between departments, lack of interest among farmers, lack of promotions, lack of residential quarters, lower pay scales, excess bossism and political interference. The suggestions given by the extension personnel are provision of training in the use of computer and AV tools (55.71%) and practical oriented in-service trainings (50%). As the training needs of extension personnel changes overtime, training needs assessment should be done on a regular basis and the important areas in which the extension personnel needs training should be considered while planning training for the extension personnel.

Includes bibliographical references.