Information needs and information seeking behaviour of dairy farm managers

Similar to global trends, the livestock sector in Iran is one of the fastest growing sectors. Congruent to its growth is the need for timely and up-to-date information. This study investigated dairy farm managers' attitudes and perceptions towards information sources. A quantitative research approach was used to collect data from 300 dairy farms in the Khorasan-Razavi Province in the North-Eastern part of Iran, using stratified random sampling. Frequencies, inferential statistics, exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The results of the study indicated that agricultural conferences and seminars, universities, and technical-vocational training centres were perceived as the most useful information sources. In contrast, television farming programs, visits to progressive dairy farms, and the internet were characterised as never used/low usefulness information sources. Given that there is a move away from traditional-based training approaches this may have serious implications. Furthermore, farmers should be provided information and training regarding the different websites and their trustworthiness.