bioresource conservation and livelihood development, have underlined the importance of farm leaders in spreading and stabilizing the adoption of new technologies
among small farmers. This has given rise to the need for understanding certain basic
leadership roles to be played by farm opinion leaders as group leader. The opinion
leader is a small farmer who is sought after by other small farmer for information
and advice and who is instrumental in influencing the decision-making behavior of
other small farmers on sustainable crop production and allied enterprises. Hence,
there is need to develop opinion leadership among small farmers. The farm opinion
leader provides the needed assistance to extension agencies, in planning and
implementing bioresource conservation and livelihood development programs. The
Narayana’s Star model (shown in Fig. 3) explains seven qualities of farm opinion
leaders like (1) Learner and Legitimizer: The farm opinion leader learns more
about recent technologies in sustainable crop husbandry and allied fields, judge pros
and cons, accept, and adopts them. The farm opinion leader, by virtue of his/her
social position in their community as the authority to give sanction or approval for
the introduction of new sustainable technologies in the village keeping in view the
village norms and values. (2) Planner and Organizer: The farm opinion leader is
able to plan, visualize in his imagination, ways by which needs of his/her group can
be satisfied. He/she has greater social insight into the structure and functioning of
group and actually plans with the groups. He/she help farmers to make plans for
getting maximum returns from farming. The farm opinion leader initiates common
action in the villages. He/she arranges development meetings, mobilizes farmers
and organizes group and community action in the village. (3) Listener with self
confidence: The farm opinion leader should be a good listener to develop self
confidence in motivating farmers. (4) Linker of programs: The farm opinion
leader acts as a liaison person between small farmers and technical staff, input and
market agencies, development officers, media persons and other agencies and thus
facilitates effective contact between them to achieve the purpose of his/her
group. (5) Motivator with enthusiasm and eagerness: The farm leader inspires
and motivates the small farmers and attempts to sustain their interest in pursuing
their plan even under critical situation in sustainable crop production and allied
enterprises. (6) Harmonizing spokesman: The farm opinion leader promotes
harmony among the members inline with the basic purpose of the group. He/she
places more emphasis on the uniformities among the members rather than upon
individual differences, and minimizes conflicts. The farm opinion leader is the
responsibility of speaking-farmers group and representing the group’s interest and
position. (7) Educator with group ideals: The farm opinion leader shares his
knowledge and experience with his/her followers to raise their level of understanding. He/she promotes training of small farmers for assuming leadership
responsibility and group functioning. The farm opinion leader adopts group norms
and lives by them. As per the expectation of his/her group he/she embodies the
group ideals in relation to farming professions (Fig. 3).
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B.K. Narayana Swamy and Y. Nagaraju
among small farmers. This has given rise to the need for understanding certain basic
leadership roles to be played by farm opinion leaders as group leader. The opinion
leader is a small farmer who is sought after by other small farmer for information
and advice and who is instrumental in influencing the decision-making behavior of
other small farmers on sustainable crop production and allied enterprises. Hence,
there is need to develop opinion leadership among small farmers. The farm opinion
leader provides the needed assistance to extension agencies, in planning and
implementing bioresource conservation and livelihood development programs. The
Narayana’s Star model (shown in Fig. 3) explains seven qualities of farm opinion
leaders like (1) Learner and Legitimizer: The farm opinion leader learns more
about recent technologies in sustainable crop husbandry and allied fields, judge pros
and cons, accept, and adopts them. The farm opinion leader, by virtue of his/her
social position in their community as the authority to give sanction or approval for
the introduction of new sustainable technologies in the village keeping in view the
village norms and values. (2) Planner and Organizer: The farm opinion leader is
able to plan, visualize in his imagination, ways by which needs of his/her group can
be satisfied. He/she has greater social insight into the structure and functioning of
group and actually plans with the groups. He/she help farmers to make plans for
getting maximum returns from farming. The farm opinion leader initiates common
action in the villages. He/she arranges development meetings, mobilizes farmers
and organizes group and community action in the village. (3) Listener with self
confidence: The farm opinion leader should be a good listener to develop self
confidence in motivating farmers. (4) Linker of programs: The farm opinion
leader acts as a liaison person between small farmers and technical staff, input and
market agencies, development officers, media persons and other agencies and thus
facilitates effective contact between them to achieve the purpose of his/her
group. (5) Motivator with enthusiasm and eagerness: The farm leader inspires
and motivates the small farmers and attempts to sustain their interest in pursuing
their plan even under critical situation in sustainable crop production and allied
enterprises. (6) Harmonizing spokesman: The farm opinion leader promotes
harmony among the members inline with the basic purpose of the group. He/she
places more emphasis on the uniformities among the members rather than upon
individual differences, and minimizes conflicts. The farm opinion leader is the
responsibility of speaking-farmers group and representing the group’s interest and
position. (7) Educator with group ideals: The farm opinion leader shares his
knowledge and experience with his/her followers to raise their level of understanding. He/she promotes training of small farmers for assuming leadership
responsibility and group functioning. The farm opinion leader adopts group norms
and lives by them. As per the expectation of his/her group he/she embodies the
group ideals in relation to farming professions (Fig. 3).
76
B.K. Narayana Swamy and Y. Nagaraju