Author(s): TANUSHREE MAITI, S.S. DANA AND U.K. BANDYAPADHYA

Abstract: Brackish Water Fish Farmers Development Agencyrn(BFDA), as a nodal agency at district level was set up in the year 1983-84 withrnadream of popularization of modern brackish water farming technique to the poorrnrural farmers in the light of their socioeconomic conditions. Knowledge isrnconsidered as a  critical input forrnimproving the brackish water farming. Keeping these facts in mind, the presentrnstudy was formulated in the district of PurboMedinipur, West Bengal, India,rnwith a sample of 120 respondents from 6 blocks namely- Nandakumar, Chandipur,rnContai-1, Contai-3, Nandigram-1 and Nandigram-2, selected through simple randomrnsampling without replacement. Results revealed thatfamily type, education,rnoccupation, mass media participation, stocking density, farming responsibility,rnBFDA assistance, frequency of technical advice, perception about BFDA andrnusefulness of technical advice   werernsignificantly correlated with knowledge level. While observing regressionrnvalues, extension agency contact, farming responsibility and frequency ofrntechnical advice were found to have positive association at 0.05 level ofrnprobability. Whereas family size, caste, landholding, annual income, mass mediarnexposure and BFDA assistance were found to have positive association at 0.01rnlevel of probability. Usefulness of technical advice and perception about BFDArnwere found to have negative association at 0.01 level of probability.

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