A study on extent of utilization of extension advisory services by vegetable growers in Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand
Loading...
Date
2022-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, District Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. PIN - 263145
Abstract
India ranks second in vegetable production in the world. Though, Uttarakhand has varied agro-climatic conditions suitable for cultivation of high value, off-season and exotic vegetables along with seasonal vegetables in hills. Vegetable cultivation provides a number of additional advantages, such as vegetables have a shorter growing duration than cereal crops, allowing for more crops to be planted, measured as a percentage of total land area in a year. Vegetable cultivation in Uttarakhand is still an unorganized sector in which farmers follows traditional farming practices. Many public sectors like KVKs, SAU, Government institutions are engaged in providing better extension advisory services mainly for growing food grains not for vegetable production. For this
extension agent, scientists and experts have to play essential role to motivate vegetable growers so that they ultimately get good extension and advisory services and can achieve a sense of satisfaction. Among them agriculture information should reach to the farmers in right perceptive, in the right form and in right time as it is very important for enhancing the productivity of the farm produce. Although farmers are getting information from diverse communication sources like interpersonal sources such as personal localite and personal cosmopolite and different mass media. But despite there is a lot of information gap on the part of farmers. There is a need to know which information sources and channels are being utilized by the farmers and how these technologies reached farmers. Therefore, study entitled “A Study on Extent of Utilization of Extension Advisory Services by Vegetable Growers in Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand”. The study was conducted in Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. A total sample of 90 respondents was selected through purposive sampling and proportional allocation method from Bhimtal Block representing three villages Alchauna, Chafi and Banna. Data on profile characteristics of vegetable growers were collected. A schedule was developed for measuring extent of utilization of extension advisory services by vegetable growers. The findings of the study revealed that fifty-five per cent of the respondents belonged to middle age group and had medium family size (55.56 %) having 4 to 7 members. Nearly three fourth of the respondents were male (73.33%) and had education up to intermediate (33.33%). Majority of the respondents (60%) had medium land holding of 21-34 Nali and 66.67 per cent of the respondents had medium size of land under vegetable cultivation of 11-21 Nali. Three- fourth of the respondents (75.56%) had medium income level. Results further revealed that more than ninety per cent of respondents (93.33%) owned mobile phones, 57.78 per cent had medium level of mass media exposure, social participation (68.89%). Majority (80%) of the respondents had medium information seeking behaviour, 53.33 per cent, economic motivation, (48.90%), risk preference (48.89%) and credibility to extension advisory services. Majority of respondents (89%) preferred mobile phone to receive message through SMS for getting information related vegetable cultivation. Results regarding extent of utilization of extension advisory services maximum number of the respondents (40.00%) had high extent of utilization of extension advisory services for cultivation of vegetables. It was found that social participation, economic motivation and credibility had positive and significant relationship with extent of utilization of extension advisory services. The opinion of the respondents regarding Constraints faced by vegetable growers in utilizing extension advisory services revealed that lack of updated information (93%), lack of technical guidance (88%), irregular visit by extension worker (87%), Poor connectivity of networks and purchasing barrier for farm inputs (86%) and Poor communication skills of extension worker (84%) were major constraints faced by vegetable growers. Thus, on the basis of findings public and private organizations can ameliorate the extension system and provide better extension advisory services to the vegetable growers.