A STUDY OF BER GROWERS IN KARJAT SUB DIVISION OF AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT
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Date
1984-05-15
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mfiHflimfl PHULE KPISHI VIDVflPEETH RAHURI, 413 722 OlST- AHMEDNAGAR. Maharashtra State (India)
Abstract
Agriculture as a rural basic industry is the backbone of Indian economy. In Maharashtra about 87 per cent of land is utilised for dryland farming. Of the total 2 crores and 10 lakh hectares cultivable land of the State, 1881 lakh hectares area is used for agriculture production. Out of this only 5,18 lakh hectares area is under horticultural crops consisting fruit and vegetable crops, flowers and ornamental plants. The area of 2.49 lakh hectares is under fruit crops only. There is an acute need to bring more area under fruit crops in the State. Ber is an important indigenous fruit and one of the most ancient fruits in India. It is grown in Maharashtra on an area of 1656 ha. It is mainly concentrated in Ahmednagar, Solapur, Satara. Sangli and Pune district. Among the fruit trees ber cultivation requires least inputs and care, it gives good yield even without irrigation. By continuous research various practices towards ber cultivation have been evolved by the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, It is essential to know how far the ber growers adopt these practices. Farmers behaviour is conditioned by many factors that interact with each other. In such a situation, it is essential to know how these factors influence the adoption behaviour of farmers. The present study was planned with general objective of understanding the knowledge and adoption of ber growing farmers. The study was conducted in Karjat Sub-Division of Ahmednagar District, Majority of the ber growers had established their garden on small area. More than half (65%) of the ber growers had annual income ranged between Rs 25001 to 50000, A statistically significant correlation was observed between knowledge of improved practices of ber cultivation and annual income of ber growers. More than half (51.67 %) of the ber growers had medium level of social participation. The correlation between knowledge of Improved practices of ber cultivation and social participation and cosmopoliteness of ber growers was found to be significant. Half of the ber growers (50.53 %) were found to be in medium extension contact category and there was statistically significant correlation between knowledge of improved practices of ber cultivation and extension contact. A large majority (79.20 %) of ber growers had favourable attitude towards ber cultivation,, While 68.34 per cent had medium sources of information. The correlation between knowledge of practices of ber cultivation and sources of information was significant. A significant correlation was found between adoption of improved practices of ber cultivation and formal education, size of holding, annual income, social participation, cosmopoliteness, extension contact, socio-economic status, attitude and source of information^ while correlation between adoption of improved practices of ber cultivation and size of family was observed to be non-significant. The major constraints faced by the ber growers towards planting were costly seedlings and -there non-availability from reliable sources. Non availability of manures and fertilizers in time and "fcheiVhigh cost were the another constraints. Towards marketing of fruits, lack of transport facility to catch distant market and non-nvaiJability of marke-Kryj information were the major constraints. The major suggestion of"the ber growers was that the farmers having excess land and light should only go for ber cultivation and ber should be planted as dryland horticultural crop only.
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