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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in todayā€™s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968ā€™ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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20211
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Subject: Agricultural Economics Ɨ Author: Borah, Nabanita Ɨ End date: 2023 Ɨ Start date: 2020 Ɨ Thesis Type: M.Sc Ɨ
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    DETERMINANTS OF ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDED KHASI MANDARIN PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN ASSAM
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2021) Borah, Nabanita; Deka, Nivedita
    Citrus is a vast genus of fruits that belongs to the Rutaceae family. Khasi Mandarin is an extensively produced and commercialised mandarin variety grown in India's north-eastern area. In 2015-16, Assam's total orange production was 210141 tonnes, with an area of 15649 hectares and a yield of 13428 kg per hectare. Despite the availability of new varieties, a more comprehensive set of procedures, scientific technology, and conventional orchard management, the mandarin orchard continues to suffer. Farmers' failure to embrace or inadequate adoption of recommended mandarin practices could be the reason for the low production of mandarin. The present study is an attempt to study the extent of adoption level of recommended Khasi Mandarin production practices and analyses the factors affecting adoption of the recommended practices. The study also explores the problems faced by the farmers in adoption of recommended practices. The study was conducted in Kamrup rural and Kamrup metropolitan districts of Assam. A multistage random sampling technique was followed to select the ultimate sample unit of 120 farmers. The result of the study revealed that growth rate of area under mandarin for Kamrup rural, Kamrup metropolitan and Assam was found to be significant and positive over the time period 2007-2019, i.e., 9.74, 5.65 and 5.60 per cent per annum, respectively. Growth rate in production of mandarin for Kamrup rural, Kamrup metropolitan and Assam was also recorded to be positive and significant, i.e., 10.87, 4.45 and 8.29 per cent per annum, respectively. And growth rate of productivity of mandarin for Kamrup rural district and for the state of Assam was recorded to be positive and significant i.e., 1.03 and 2.54 per cent per annum, respectively. Whereas, the growth rate for productivity of mandarin for Kamrup metropolitan district was found negative and significant, with a value of -1.13 per cent per annum. Out the two districts, Kamrup rural showed maximum variability in area (23.88 %) and production (25.33 %) whereas Kamrup metropolitan showed maximum variability in productivity (8.20 %). For Assam maximum variability was found in area under Khasi Mandarin (14.97 %). And 12.10 per cent variation in production followed by 4.86 per cent in productivity. During the period, area effect was the most responsible factor for changing production in Kamrup rural, Kamrup metropolitan and Assam i.e., 85.75 per cent, 128.89 per cent and 63.98 per cent, respectively. The total cost per hectare per year for pooled farms was Rs.36113.66, Rs.39459.73, Rs.39897.30, and Rs.40350.03 for the year 6th, 10th, 15th and 20th, respectively. Gross returns per hectare 7 per year from pooled farms for the considered years were found to be Rs.118561.70, Rs.138124.80, Rs.154565.10, and Rs.166308.20, respectively. Net return for the farm was obtained by deducting total cost per year from gross return per year, which was calculated to be Rs.82448.05, Rs.98665.12, Rs.114667.80, Rs.125958.20 for 6th, 10th, 15th and 20th year. Benefit cost ratio for the pooled farm was calculated to be 3.35 per cent, NPV was found to be Rs.727830.86 and IRR was calculated to 38.91 per cent, which indicates cultivation of mandarin in the study area is economically feasible and profitable. For calculating the adoption level adoption index was calculated and farmers were categorized into three groupsā€˜ viz., low, medium and high adopters by using mean and standard deviation. For analyzing the factors affecting adoption of recommended practices logistic regression model was used. In the study 12 practices recommended by Assam Agricultural University in package of practices was considered. And the constraints faced by mandarin growers were group under four categories viz., technical, economic, storage and marketing and general constraints. The ranking of problems in each category was done by using Henry Garret ranking method. The study found that majority of farmers belongs to medium adopter (71.67) category followed by low adopters (15.83) and high adopters (12.50). Planting materials, weed management, and harvesting practices were found to be highly adopted by the sample farmers, whereas irrigation, disease, and post-harvest management strategies were found to be lowly embraced. And the study shows that major problems faced by mandarin growers are disease sensitivity of the crop, operations are labour intensive, marketing prices of the produce fluctuate highly and unavailability of proper roads. So, awareness and training to the farmers about recommended practice, arranging supply of quality planting materials, providing subsidies on inputs, appointment of more extension workers and their regular training in concerned department about up to date technical know-how, establishment of storage structures and preservation industries etc., can help the farmers of the study area to tackle their day to day problems in cultivation procedures and also converting that medium adopter group into high adopters.