Viability of self help groups in vegetable and fruit promotion council Keralam- a multidimensional analysis
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Date
2003
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Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani
Abstract
The study was conducted among the randomly selected 20 SHGs of the VFPCK in Thiruvananthapuram district. These SHGs were studied as such using the 21-point selection criteria developed by Sustainable Agriculture Center for Research and Development in Africa (SACRED – Africa) for analyzing the viability of SHGs. Viability refers to the potential of the groups in the areas of agricultural extension and marketing, by exploring and utilizing the manpower resources and other resources in a group, thus facilitating community development. The twenty SHGs were arranged in descending order according to the ranking obtained.
The respondents were the individual farmers selected from the top five and bottom five of viability ranking. From the total 180 members present in the selected 10 SHGs, 50 percent of them were randomly selected for studying their economic performance, technology adoption, credit utilization and repayment.
The data were collected using the pre-tested interview schedule developed for the study. The interview schedule prepared in English was translated into Malayalam before administrating to the respondents. To study the constraints faced by the farmers of SHGs, separate questionnaire was prepared.
The collected data were analyzed using statistical tools such as mean, percentage, correlation analysis and principal component analysis.
The dependent variables of the study were economic performance and technology adoption of the farmers. A number of independent variables like personal and socio psychological characters affect the two dependent variables.
It was observed from the study that 80 percent of the SHGs had a membership ranging from 16-29 members and had a democratic style of functioning. Majority of the farmers belonged to the medium category for economic performance and technology adoption. The characters like economic motivation and social participation showed a positive significant relationship with economic performance. In the case of technology adoption, annual income, innovativeness and risk orientation showed a positive significant relationship.
The credit repayment study showed that majority of the respondents had a high recovery index and the numbers of defaulters were very low. Also the credit utilization was complete. The major constraints felt by the respondents were the perishable nature of the vegetables and the delay in getting the price of the produce supplied. This is compounded by the lack of storage and transportation facilities. Majority of the farmers suggested to continue the friendly approach followed in SHGs.
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