ROLE ASSESSMENT OF AGRI-INPUT DEALERS IN TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY IN TELANGANA
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Date
2018
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Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
Abstract
The present study was conducted to analyze the profile characteristics of agri-input dealers and to assess their knowledge and role in transfer of technology. The relationship between profile characteristics of agri-input dealers with their knowledge and role in transfer of technology was elicited. The problems and suggestions as perceived by the agri-input dealers were drawn and a strategy was designed for enhancing role of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology.
Ex post facto research design was followed in the present investigation. The Telangana state was chosen as the locale of the study, since the researcher belongs to the state and was familiar with local language and culture. Southern Telangana zone from Telangana state was selected for the study, since the researcher belongs to the zone and was familiar with local agricultural situations. Two districts from Southern Telangana zone viz., Jogulamba Gadwal and Suryapet, were selected purposively based on highest number of agri-input dealers. Three mandals from Jogulamba Gadwal district viz., Gadwal, Alampur, Ieeja and three mandals from Suryapet district viz., Suryapet, Kodad, Huzurnagar were purposively selected based on the highest number of agri-input dealers thus makes total of six mandals. From each of the selected mandal, twenty respondents were selected randomly from the list of the agri-input dealers obtained from the officials of the State Department of Agriculture, making a total of 120 respondents. Fifteen independent variables, two dependent variables viz., knowledge and role in transfer of technology were selected for the study. The data were collected by personal interview method through a structured interview schedule and analyzed by employing suitable statistical methods.
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The results of the study shown that majority of the agri-input dealers were in middle age, graduates/post graduates, small farmers, had medium experience as a agri-input dealer, medium farming experience, not received the training, medium level of mass media exposure, social participation, research/extension contact, scientific orientation, extension service orientation, innovativeness, risk orientation, achievement motivation and business orientation.
More than three fifth of the agri-input dealers had medium level knowledge, followed by low knowledge level and high knowledge level. More than half of the agri-input dealers have perceived medium role, followed by high role and low role in transfer of technology.
Further, Different criteria were identified to measure the manifest role of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology. The criteria include number of farmers as customers for the agri-input dealers, number of farmers visiting the shop/day, number of field visits by the agri-input dealers/month, proportion of technical assistance given to the farmers, proportion of technical assistance in terms of various inputs, proportion of various inputs sold in the shop (in monitory terms) and proportion of references for purchase of inputs.
Correlation analysis revealed that age, number of years of experience as dealer, training received mass media usage, extension contact, scientific orientation and extension service orientation, innovativeness; risk orientation, achievement motivation and business orientation had a positive significant relationship with knowledge of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology. Whereas education, farming experience, land holding and social participation had a non-significant relationship with their knowledge in transfer of technology. The regression analysis revealed that, scientific orientation and business orientation were the major variables to explain the knowledge of agri-input dealers up to 57.80 per cent.
Correlation analysis between independent variables and role revealed that education, training received, mass media usage, social participation, extension contact, scientific orientation, extension service orientation, innovativeness, risk orientation and achievement motivation had a positive significant relationship with role assessment of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology in Telangana. Whereas age, number of years of experience as dealer, farming experience, land holding mass media usage, social participation and business orientation had a significant relationship with their role of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology.
In case of assessment of role regression analysis revealed that, training received, extension contact, extension service orientation and achievement motivation were the major variables to explain the assessment of role of agri-input dealers up to 66.50 per cent.
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Among the major problems as perceived by agri-input dealers, late repayment by the farmers, lack of knowledge in maintaining stock book and sales register of the products, high transportation charges, low margin for different agri-inputs, crop failure due to natural calamities, lack of Management skills in trade, lack of capital for establishment and maintenance, lack of technical knowledge about different brands of product, active ingredients and dose etc... ,crop failure problem due to spurious inputs, delay in delivery of inputs by the input dealers, non-availability of farm inputs in time, lack of accessibility to bank loans, price fluctuations in different crop seasons, high wage rates for the labour, pressures from Government officers, and Delay in renewal of license were perceived as critical problems by large majority of respondents. On the other side, sharing of transportation charges by different stake holders, increase the margin for different agri-inputs, provision of capital as loan for establishment, control of advance booking of agri-inputs, awareness on different new brands and their application, improvement of Management skills in trade, maintaining quality standards by the input agencies, conducting interaction programs with stake holders in agri-input business, conducting need based training programs and recommendation of agri-inputs by the AO and AEO’s were the suggestions given by the agri-inputs dealers for enhancing the role of agri-input dealers in transfer of technology.
Based on the findings of the study, a comprehensive road map was designed to strengthen the role of Agri-input dealers in Transfer of Technology. The road map consists of eight important strategies integrated in such a way that each one will have synergistic effect over the other strategies. Involvement of different stake holders and their role was also depicted in the model.
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D5689
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