TRANSFER OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY AMONG TRIBAL FARMERS OF I T. D. P. CHHOTAUDEPUR, DIST. VADODARA
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Date
1995
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
As against the 7.54 per cent schedule tribes population in the country, schedule tribes in Gujarat state accounts for 14.92 per cent of the total population in the state. While in Vadodara district, tribal population constitute 25.35 per cent of the total population, of which 89.00 per cent tribes are agriculturist in Chhotaudepur, Naswadi and Pavi-Jetpur talukas of the district. This investigation was carried out in these talukas which are under developed, economically back-ward tribal talukas of Vadodara district. Chhotaudepur, Naswadi and Pavi-Jetpur talukas constitute sizable tribal population of 83.00 per cent; 80.00 per cent and 72.00 per cent respectively. I.T.D.P.- Chhotaudepur is working in these talukas since June 21st 1976. Inspite of the integrated planned efforts, the socio-economic situation of tribals. still remains backward and hence more well-integrated intensive result oriented planned efforts are necessary. Integrated Tribal sub-plan Development Project (I.T.D.P.) has to play leading and challenging role. Now it is clear that not only capital or finance is the barrier of the tribal farmers but their ignorance towards new agricultural technology and conservativeness are also the obstacles in their progress. The ignorance of tribal farmers never persuades them to adopt the modern technology. It is true that India's real development lies in the development of these people. The gap between the poor and rich is very wide in many ways. The physical and mental separation of the tribals is responsible for their economic and social backwardness. They remain aloof from the rest of the society for generation. There is hardly any detailed research available on cropping pattern followed by the tribals and extent of their adoption of recommended agricultural technologies of important crops and attitudes of tribal farmers towards recommended technology. Therefore, the present investigation constitutes one such effort to study Transfer of agricultural technology among tribal farmers of I.T.D.P. Chhotaudepur Dist. Vadodara. The present investigation was undertaken with the following objectives. 1. To study the personal and socio-psychological, situational and communication characteristics of the tribal farmers. 2. To study the cropping pattern followed by the tribal farmers. 3. To study the attitude of tribal farmers towards agricultural recommended technology (chemical fertilizers and high yielding varieties) for the major crops. 4. To identify and study the overall technological gap as against recommended technologies of major crops among the tribal farmers. 5. To study the level of yield of major crops on tribal farms. 6. To analyse and study the constraints associated with technological gap and ascertain the suggestions of tribal farmers to overcome the constraints associated with technological gap. The present study was conducted in tribal area of Vadodara district of Gujarat state. Out of twelve talukas of Vadodara district, three talukas namely (1) Chhotaudepur (2) Naswadi and (3) Pavi-Jetpur were purposively selected. These talukas possess more than fifty per cent of the tribal population and I.T.D.P.- Chhotaudepur is also operating in these talukas. The villages in each selected talukas were classified into three groups viz. (i) High (ii) Medium and (iii) Low communication facilities score developed by Murthy and Singh and two villages from each group were selected randomly. Thus six villages from each taluka were selected. In all 18 villages were selected from the above three talukas for the present study. From each village 15 tribal farmers were selected randomly. Thus the total sample constituted 270 tribal farmers. The tool used for the study was an interview schedule having eight major parts related to different aspects. The data were collected from 270 tribal respondents through personal interview in the year 1993-94. To ascertain the personal and socio-economic characteristics of the tribal respondents, socio-economic scale developed by Trivedi (1963) was used with the due modification. The psychological characteristics viz. economic motivation, scientific orientation, risk preference were measured with the help of scale developed by Supe and Singh (1974). Knowledge about recommended technology was measured with the help of teacher made test based on knowledge test developed by Jha and Singh (1970). Cosmopolitelocaliteness was measured with the help of cosmopolite-localiteness scale developed by Singh (1973). Attitude towards high yielding varieties and attitude towards chemical fertilizers were measured with the help of attitude scales developed by Nair (1969) and Singh (1968) respectively. Source credibility was measured with the help of credibility index worked out by Sandhu (1975). Technological gap was measured with the help of technological gap index developed by All India Co-ordinated Research Programmes in extension education I.A.R.I. New Delhi (1979). For analysis of the data of this study, percentage, coefficient of correlation, stepwise regression analysis and pith analysis were used. In all, one dependent variable i.e. overall technological gap and 27 independent variables were studied. FINDINGS The salient findings of the study were : 1. Majority of the tribal farmers were illiterate, belonged to medium socio-economic status, middle age group and having no membership in any social organisation. 2. Majority of the tribal farmers belonged to joint family with medium to large size of family and they possessed one kachha type house. 3. Majority of the tribal farmers were exclusively dependent on farming plus labour work with minimum farm power i.e. upto two bullocks and possessed local implements. 4. About 60.00 per cent migration was observed in sample tribal farmers. 5. Majority of the tribal farmers possessed upto 5.00 acres of land with 150.00 per cent cropping intensity. 6. Majority of the tribal farmers had annual income upto Rs. 10.000=00 with debt upto Rs. 5000=00. 7. Majority of the tribal farmers were found to have medium level cosmopolite - localiteness, economic motivation, scientific orientation and risk preference. 8. Majority of the tribal farmers had neutral attitude towards high yielding varieties, neutral attitude towards chemical fertilizers and medium level knowledge about recommended VI technology of maize, paddy, tur and black-gram crop. 9. Among different sources of information, majority of the tribal farmers used neighbour and relatives and the credibility of village level workers and contact farmers was found to be high. 10. Majority of the tribal respondents had followed single cropping pattern and predominantly foodgrains oriented and especially kharif cereals oriented. 11. The average yields on tribal farms for crops viz. maize, paddy, tur. black-gram, summer groundnut and cotton were lower than the district average yields. The decrease in yield varies from 13.00 per cent to 69.00 per cent. 12. The extent of technological gap in use of high yielding, hybrid and improved seeds of varieties, use of farm yard manure, use of chemical fertilizers and use of plant protection measures in major crops viz. maize, paddy, tur and black-gram was found to have medium to high gap level among tribal farmers. 13. Among various personal, socio-psychological, situational and communication characteristics of the tribal farmers age, land holding, annual income, cropping intensity and sources of information had positive and significant relationship with their overall technological gap while occupation, type of houses, number of houses, migration habit, economic motivation, scientific orientation and knowledge level about maize, paddy, tur and black-gram crops had negative but significant relationship with their overall technological gap. 14. About 57.42 per cent (R2 = 0.5742) contribution of the variation in dependent variable (overall technological gap) was accounted by below said seven variables from highest to lowest. (i) Knowledge level about tur crop (ii) Knowledge level about black-gram crop (iii) Knowledge level about maize crop (iv) Migration habit (v) Cropping intensity (vi) Number of houses (vii) Attitude towards high yielding varieties 15. The major variables contributing the maximum direct and negative effect on overall technological gap of the tribal farmers were occupation, type of houses, number of houses, migration habit, economic motivation, scientific orientation, knowledge level about maize crop, knowledge level about paddy crop, knowledge level about tur crop, knowledge level about black-gram crop, land holding and source of information, whereas the variable age, annual income and cropping intensity contributing maximum positive direct effect on overall technological gap. 16. The variables knowledge level about paddy crop, land holding, knowledge level about black-gram crop, source of information, type of houses, age and occupation contributed maximum to the overall technological gap indirectly in descending order, whereas the variables cropping intensity, knowledge level about tur crop, knowledge level about maize crop, scientific orientation, economic motivation, annual income, migration habit and number of houses had contributed minimum total indirect effect on overall technological gap. 17. In case of 1st order substantial indirect effect the variable source of information had maximum effect followed by land holding, age and annual income in descending order whereas in second order land holding had maximum substantial indirect effect followed by number of houses, age and migration habit in descending order. Knowledge level of major crops, migration habit. land holding, sources of information, age and annual income were the key variables providing a way for all the variables in exerting their indirect substantial effect on overall technological gap. 18. Among all the constraints related with overall technological gap as perceived by the tribal farmers, poor soil condition, lack of irrigation facility, inadequate crop protection, lack of technical guidance, lack of information about new agricultural technology, lack of finance needed and inadequate tillage and farming methods were reported by majority of the tribal farmers and ranked in descending order. 19. Majority of the tribal farmers had suggested that training for new agricultural technology should be arranged, provision for long term loan for creating irrigation facilities should be made. provision for sufficient finance for crop loan should be made and arrangement for easy availability of inputs should be made.
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Keywords
Extension Education, Technology