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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 today’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, 1968’ 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: Extension Education × End date: 2021 × Start date: 2020 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    A MIXED-METHOD ANALYSIS ON EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATION FLOW MECHANISM AMONG THE STAKEHOLDERS OF POST T&V SYSTEM AND ATMA MODEL IN ASSAM
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2021) Saikia, Dipanjali; Barman, Utpal
    Access to knowledge and information has become an instrumental component to society’s progress. Information utilization in agriculture has played a key role in boosting agricultural productivity and in overall progress of the farm sector. If properly utilized, information can help in improvement of the farm household economy. The sources of information utilized may however vary. The suitability of these sources utilized also varies according to their needs and the situation they are in. The Indian public agricultural extension system has been a world leader in knowledge and information dissemination. Extension workers and researchers work together to improve farmer productivity and profitability through technology transfer, it is necessary to know the information sources consulted and used by the public extension system and farmers in various situations and times to develop an effective extension system The present study was carried out in the Lakhimpur district of Assam to discover the information flow mechanism among public extension stakeholders (ATMA model and Post T&V phase). Multi-stage sampling design was followed to select farmers and other stakeholders of the ATMA model and Post T&V system; a cent percentage population was taken for the study. A set of structured schedules was used to collect data. For the analysis, the data were grouped into frequency distributions. They paired t-tests using Karl Pearson's coefficient of correlation and Fisher's exact test. The mean age of the agricultural scientists was 40.67 years and they had attained postgraduate degrees in their field. Most agricultural scientists (83.33%) had medium service experience (6-11 years). It was also found that 50.00per cent of the agricultural scientists attended two training sessions last year. The agricultural scientists can use mobile telephony, printing, typing, photocopying, projector, exhibition, computer, internet, periodicals and transportation for updating their knowledge. To transfer agricultural information, 33.33 per cent of agricultural scientists used low, medium, or high communication methods. The mean age of the extension personnel were 42.12 years. While 39.39 per cent of extension personnel had completed high school, 27.27per cent had attained education up to graduation level (agriculture), 25.76 per cent had completed post-graduation (agriculture) and only 7.58 had completed graduation (non-agriculture). It was also found that 78.79 per cent of extension workers were men, and 21.11 per cent women. Majority (81.82%) of extension workers were from rural areas. Majority of (65.15%) of extension personnel had a medium aspirational level and 96.97per cent had a medium service length. The study also revealed that last year, 54.54 per cent of extension personnel received medium training, in comparison, 22.73 per cent received low and 22.73 per cent received high training. 86.36 per cent of extension personnel had medium level facilities to transfer agricultural technologies, while 13.64 per cent had high-level facilities. The study also revealed that of all extension personnel, 72.73 per cent used medium communication methods, 16.67 per cent used low communication methods, and 10.60 per cent used high communication methods to transfer information. The average age of farmers was 43.43 years old, with 49.05 per cent of them having attained secondary education. 87.04 per cent of the farmers were men. Farmers owned an average land holding of 1.137 ha. About 90 per cent of farmers had a medium annual income. It was also found that 77.73 per cent of farmers were members of one-single organisation. The majority of farmers were cosmopolite, and 61.54 per cent can be categorized as innovative. 68.42per cent of farmers preferred medium risk, 62.75 per cent of farmers preferred medium media exposure and 71.66 per cent of farmers preferred medium scientific orientation. The marketing personnel had an average age of 43.36 years and 45.46 per cent had graduated from college, followed by graduate school (36.36%) and high school (18.18%). It was observed that 100per cent of marketing personnel were men from rural backgrounds. They had an average service experience of 10.27 years and majority (54.55%) of them received no training last year. The majority of marketing personnel (55.54 %) belonged to one organization. The linkage effectiveness between research and extension was found to be71.97per cent, and that of between research and farmers was at 51.97 per cent. While the linkage effectiveness between extension and farmers was found to be higher (79.43%), no linkage could be found between extension and market. In the ATMA model the linkage between farmers and market the linkage effectiveness score was 14.53 per cent, in the Post T&V system, linkage between research and extension, the linkage effectiveness score was 53.83 per cent, linkage between research (KVK Scientist) and farmers, the linkage effectiveness score was 51.91 per cent, the linkage between research (KVK Scientist) and market, the linkage effectiveness score was nil (0.00%), the linkage between extension and farmers, the linkage effectiveness score was 64.32 per cent, the linkage between extension and market, the linkage effectiveness score was 8.40 per cent and the linkage between farmers and market, the linkage effectiveness score was 14.53 per cent. The study also found no significant differences in the linkage effectiveness mean score between the two systems. The study found that 63.64 per cent of agricultural scientists used agricultural information sources only moderately. The study also revealed that textbooks and the internet were more commonly used than other information sources. Majority (69.70%) of extension personnel used agricultural information sources moderately. Among the most common personal information sources used by the extension personnel were colleagues, followed by mobile phones, senior extension officers, agricultural scientists, friends, progressive farmers, farmers committee and local leaders. Training was the most frequently used source of agricultural information for extension personnel, followed by group discussion, meeting, and tour. Agricultural literature was the most frequently used source of information by extension personnel. Majority (70.04%) of farmers also were found to be using agricultural information sources moderately. Progressive farmers were the most frequently used informal source of information for them, followed by neighbours, family members, friends/relatives and local leaders. The most useful source of formal agricultural information sources to farmers were ATMA personnel, followed by ADO, AEA, KVK, input dealers and marketing officials. The majority of farmers were found to be using the internet, followed by mobile phones, TV, newspaper, radio, agricultural literature and demonstrations for information. Among all the agricultural information sources available to marketing people, the most commonly used sources were internal, salesman, and internet, followed by colleagues, periodicals, dealers, newspaper, published market surveys, Govt. publications & reports and senior management. Extension personnel's education, training, and facilities correlated positively with agricultural information source usage. Age and total service time had a negative and significant relationship. An age profile variable accounted for 49.2 per cent of the variance in agricultural information source utilisation patterns. The agricultural information source utilisation pattern of farmers positively correlated with their profile variables education, social participation, innovativeness, media exposure, and scientific orientation, and age. This equation explains 53.8 per cent of the variation in farmers' use of agricultural information sources. The study also found a link between marketing personnel’s agricultural information sources and their profile variables - education, training received last year, and social participation. The study also revealed respondents’ views on the effectiveness of the system ATMA model and the Post T&V system. The main findings were that both the public extension system ATMA and the Post T&V system have an information flow gap. The study suggested that it is the right time to amalgamated ATMA with a post-T&V system by incorporating positive aspects of both.