LIVELIHOOD SECURITY BY BUFFALO FARMING - A STUDY AMONG FARMERS IN PRAKASAM DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
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Date
2023-04
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SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY TIRUPATI - 517 502. (A.P.) INDIA
Abstract
Buffalo rearing is one of the common practices in India and plays a distinct role
in the economy of the buffalo farmers. The study about the living conditions of the
farmers who were practicing buffalo farming as their sustenance could help to
understand the feasibility of buffalo farming in improving the farmers for a better living.
By considering above view, the present study entitled “Livelihood security by buffalo
farming- A study among farmers in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh” was
carried out.
The research study adopted ex-post-facto type of research design and study was
carried out in Prakasam district with highest buffalo population in Andhra Pradesh.
Three mandals from the three revenue divisions (Ongole, Kanigiri, Markapuram) of the
Prakasam district and two villages from each mandal were selected through random
sampling method. Multistage random sampling technique was followed to select 20
buffalo farmers and also a sample of five farmers’ dependent on agriculture-only from
each village. Thus, a total of 120 buffalo farmers and 30 agriculture farmers were
selected from a total of six villages and three mandals for conducting the present
research. The data was collected and analyzed by using appropriate statistical tools.
Nearly half (45.00%) of the respondents were in middle age group and more than
two-fifth (43.30%) of them had no formal education. Majority of the respondents were
practicing both agriculture and buffalo farming as their primary occupation and more
than half of them were with small land holding. Majority of the farmers had smaller
livestock holding. About 35 per cent of them had high annual income. Nearly half
(45.00%) of the respondents availed loans from national banks and 64.17 per cent of the
individuals had membership in only one organization. Exactly half (50.00%) of the
respondents had high extension contact. More than three-fourth of the individuals had
not attended any training. Almost half (46.66%) of them had medium level of farming
experience ranging from 10 years to 30 years. Among psychological variables, more
than half (53.34%) of the respondents were having medium level of risk orientation.
41.70 per cent of the farmers belonged to medium level of scientific orientation. Around
two-fifth (40.80%) of the respondents belonged to high level of economic orientation.
Nearly half (45.00%) of the respondents had high level of food security index.
Slightly more than half (51.60%) of the individuals had medium level of economic
security and more than two-fifth (41.67%) of the respondents had high level of livestock
farming security. More than two-fifth (43.33%) of the individuals had high level of
social security in the study area. More than half (60.00%) of the respondent had medium
level of institutional security and more than half (54.17%) of the farmers had medium
level of environmental security. Slightly more than two-fifth (40.80%) of the
respondents had medium level of livelihood security index in the study area.
There was a significant difference between buffalo- included and only- agriculture
livelihood system (1% level of significance). It was also observed that there was a
significant relationship between age, education, land holding, livestock holding, annual
income, extension agency contact, trainings received and economic motivation of the
buffalo farmers with overall livestock security of the buffalo farmers.
Major constraints faced by the buffalo farmers were lack of knowledge on record
keeping (2.95 constraint mean score) in management category. Lack of trainings on
processing of milk products (2.93 constraint mean score) in marketing domain.
This research unveiled that livelihood of buffalo farmers was secured in
comparison to only agriculture practicing farmers. Constraints faced by the buffalo
farmers also need to be addressed