TECHNOLOGY REACH AMONG DAIRY FARMERS OF KERALA- A MULTISTAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
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Date
2019
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ICAR-SRS, BENGALURU
Abstract
Dairying is one of the most promising allied sectors of the agriculture and an important
economic activity in the livestock sector accounting for about 67.00 percent of the value of
output. The country still faces a production shortfall due to massive demand from the growing
population and low productivity of Indian cattle. Various efforts, therefore, are underway to
generate and disseminate improved livestock practices/technologies to improve the livestock
productivity. The present investigation was taken with specific objectives to study the
“Technology reach among dairy farmers of Kerala- A Multistakeholder Analysis’. The
study was conducted in Kerala State and considering the topographical parameters, four
representative districts from each regions of Kerala were selected for the study through random
sampling method.From each districts, two villages were selected and from each village twenty
five farmers and stakeholders from research and extension domain were randomly selected for
the study. Thus the data were collected from a sample of 200 dairy farmers and 90 stakeholders
through personal interview method using pretested structured interview schedule. The findings
indicated that majority of the farmers (77.00%) were having agriculture and dairying as their
primary occupation and a significant percent (68.00%) of them had undergone training
programme. The milk production in the respondent household ranged from 25-88 litres/day.
The herd size possessed by the respondents ranged from 2 to 23 crossbred cattle. Majority of
the respondents had medium level of innovativeness and risk orientation. With regard to
technology dissemination activities, research- extension linkage was strong with involvement
of researchers as resource person for training programme organized for extension personnel
and involvement in animal health and veterinary services. Overall linkage index is strong in
extension-farmer linkage, moderate in research -extension linkage and weak in research-farmer
linkage. Significant percent (69.00%) of respondents had medium level of overall adoption of
technologies. The major constraint faced by the dairy farmers were high cost of cattle feed,
veterinary service and medicine. The major constraints experienced by extension and research
system include time constraint for executing extension activities and lack of transportation
facilities to make frequent visit to farmer’s field. In case of research system priority for teaching
and research mandates of university is the another major constraint. Institutional linkages
should be done at regional and state level and formulate joint collaborative programmes
through effective resource utilisation from various stakeholders for enhancing farm income
and thereby standard of living.