A STUDY ON EXTENT OF ADOPTION AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BENGALGRAM FARMERS IN PRAKASAM DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
Loading...
Files
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD
Abstract
Bengalgram is the major pulse crop in India with a cultivated area
of about 7.58 million hectares and production of 6.91million tones
(Http://www.india stat.com). In India, Andhra Pradesh occupies a prominent
place in bengalgram cultivation with an area of about 6.38 lakh hectares with
production of 9.37 lakh tonnes (Http://www.india stat.com). Prakasam district
of Andhra Pradesh has an area of 90,000 hectares with production of 91,200
tonnes (Hand book of statistics Prakasam district 2008) in bengalgram
cultivation has wide scope for increasing the productivity if farmers adopt the
recommended package of practices
The present investigation was undertaken with the main objective
of identifying the level of knowledge and adoption of recommended package of
practices by bengalgram farmers of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.
Ex- post-facto research design was followed for the study. A
total of fifteen villages in five mandals, three villages from each mandal were
selected by following simple random sampling method. One hundred and
twenty respondents were selected based on simple random sampling method.
The data was collected by personal interview method through pre-tested
structured interview schedule. Appropriate statistical procedure was employed
to analyze and interpret the data.
It was found from the study that majority of the bengalgram
farmers were having high school level of education, with small land holding
and high level of farming experience. They were medium in socio-politico
participation, extension contact, mass media exposure, innovativeness,
scientific orientation, risk orientation, economic orientation, and market
orientation. It was observed that majority of them had medium knowledge and
medium adoption of recommended practices in bengalgram. Out of eleven
selected independent variables nine independent variables such as education,
farming experience, socio-politico participation, extension contact, mass media
exposure, innovativeness, scientific orientation, risk orientation and economic
orientation showed significant relationship with knowledge of recommended
practice of bengalgram but land holding and market orientation showed nonsignificant
relationship with the extent of knowledge. Multiple linear regression
analysis revealed that all the selected independent variables put together
explained 70.14 per cent variation in knowledge.
Further the correlation analysis revealed that out of eleven
independent variables nine such as education, farming experience, sociopolitico
participation, extension contact, mass media exposure, innovativeness,
scientific orientation, risk orientation and economic orientation showed
significant relationship with adoption of recommended practices in
bengalgram. Land holding and market orientation showed non-significant
relationship with adoption. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that all
the selected independent variables put together explained 64.03 per cent
variation in adoption.
The most important constraints encountered by the farmers in
bengalgram cultivation were lack of information on relative performance of
high yielding varieties, non-availability of fertilizes in time, high cost of
pesticides, non-availability of harvesting equipments, lack of knowledge about
storage pests and lack of credit at proper time.
Suggestions given by the farmers to overcome the constraints in
bengalgram cultivation were providing fertilizers and seeds in time on
subsidized rates, provision of timely credit facility, provision of harvesting
equipments, provision of support price to bengalgram, provision of good
marketing facilities, implementation of crop insurance scheme, timely technical
guidance to the bengalgram farmers, organization of training programmes on
various aspects of bengalgram cultivation, provision of effective plant
protection chemicals and provision of loan at lower interest etc.
Description
Keywords
ADOPTION, CONSTRAINTS, FACED, BENGALGRAM, FARMERS, PRAKASAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH