IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL INNOVATIONS ON CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE (NICRA) PROJECT ON FARMERS OF NORTH SAURASHTRA AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONE 3372
Loading...
Files
Date
2021-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
JAU JUNAGADH
Abstract
Impact, NICRA, Climate resilient technologies
National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) is a network
project of the ICAR launched on 2nd
February, 2011 by the Honourable Union Minister
for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Shri Sharad Pawarji. Project aims to
enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability
through four module technological demonstration. So, in this study, an attempt was
made for measure the impact of NICRA project on rural livelihood securities. This
study was carried out with specific objectives: to study the profile of the respondents,
the impact of NICRA project on rural livelihood securities of beneficiary and non beneficiary farmers, relationship between profile of beneficiaries and impact of NICRA
project, document the success stories of NICRA project, constraints faced by the
respondents for adoption of climate resilient technologies and suggestions to overcome
the constraints.
The study was conducted in Rajkot and Amreli districts of North Saurashtra
Agro-climatic Zone of Gujarat state. One taluka was selected from each of the selected
two districts, from each of talukas one village was selected purposively because of
functioning of the NICRA project only in these villages. Besides these villages, another
one village was selected randomly near NICRA villages for comparison. Thus, total
two talukas and four villages were selected. Thirty respondents were selected randomly
from each of the NICRA villages and another thirty respondents were selected
randomly from each of the non-NICRA villages. Thus, total of 120 respondents were
selected randomly from four villages for the study.
NICRA farmers were belonged to middle age group (56.67 per cent), were
educated up to middle school (33.33 per cent), belonged to nuclear family (83.33 per
cent), had medium level of farming experience and medium size of land holding (30.00
per cent). Whereas, had medium level of social participation (43.33 per cent), medium
level of mass media exposure (48.33 per cent), medium level of economic motivation
(50.00 per cent), medium level of risk orientation (51.67 per cent) and medium level of
innovativeness (58.34 per cent).
Whereas, non-NICRA farmers belonged to middle age group (53.34 per cent),
educated up to primary level (38.33 per cent), ), belonged to nuclear family (73.33 per
cent), had medium level of farming experience (38.33 per cent) and small size of land
holdings (46.67 per cent). Whereas, had low level of social participation (46.67 per
cent), medium level of mass media exposure (43.34 per cent), medium level of
economic motivation (43.33 per cent), low level of risk orientation (43.33 per cent) and
low level of innovativeness (45.00 per cent).
Nearly half of the NICRA farmers (48.34 per cent) had medium level of impact
of NICRA project, followed by 33.33 per cent had high and 18.33 per cent had low
level of impact of NICRA project, respectively. In case of the non-NICRA farmers,
more than two-fifth of the respondents (41.67 per cent) had medium level of impact of
NICRA project, followed by 33.33 per cent had low and 25.00 per cent had high level
of impact of NICRA project, respectively.
The characteristics of the NICRA farmers like education, social participation,
mass media exposure, economic motivation, risk orientation and innovativeness had
positive and highly significant relationship with impact of NICRA project. The
characteristics like farming experience and size of land holding had positive significant
relationship with impact of NICRA project. The characteristics like age and family type
had positive and non-significant relationship with impact of NICRA project.
While in case of the non-NICRA farmers, farming experience, size of land
holding and mass media exposure had positive and significant relationship with impact
of NICRA project. The characteristics like age, education, family type, social
participation, economic motivation, risk orientation and innovativeness had positive
and non-significant relationship with impact of NICRA project.
The major constraints faced by the respondents for adoption of climate resilient
technologies; uneven rainfall distribution in the area, lack of financial support, lack of
knowledge about climate resilient practices, lack of technical guidance regarding
NICRA project, lack of resources owned by farmers etc.
The suggestion given by the respondents to overcome the constraints for
adoption of climate resilient technologies were; provision of technical guidance
regarding NICRA project, training programmes should be conducted on different
climate resilient technologies under NICRA project, technology demonstrations should
also be given on need based problems, easy provision of loans by government
agencies/institutions at low interest rates, required implements and machinery should
be provided on time etc.