Impact assessment of Farmer FIRST programme implemented by Central Agricultural University, Imphal.
Loading...
![Thumbnail Image](assets/images/Item.jpg)
Date
2022-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU-Imphal, Umiam
Abstract
Agriculture and allied sectors play a critical role in the economies of developing countries like India and is the primary source of food, income, employment, and livelihoods in rural areas. In India, 70 per cent of rural household still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods, with 82 per cent of farmers being small and marginal accounting for 23 per cent of GDP (FAO, 2020). To ensure greater involvement of farmers in research and development, Division of Extension of ICAR launched the Farmer FIRST Programme (FFP) in 2016-17 throughout the country and is being under implementation at two centres under ICAR-ATARI, Zone-VII, Umiam for the last four years i.e. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam and Central Agricultural University, Imphal. Keeping in forefront the stated facts, the present scientific research was conducted in two FFP adopted villages i.e. Yairipok Yambem and Yairipok Top Chingtha from Imphal East district of Manipur with the following specific objectives viz., (1) To study the demographic profile of farmer beneficiaries under Farmer FIRST Programme being implemented by Central Agricultural University, Imphal; (2) To determine the impact of Farmer FIRST Programme towards economic development of farmer beneficiaries; and (3) To study the problems faced by respondents in effective implementation of Farmer FIRST programme and their suggestive measures. Primary data was collected through interview schedule from a sample of 105 respondents from various interventions such as poultry, fishery, paddy, vegetable (pumpkin), beekeeping and gorgon nut. Secondary data was gathered from various publications from ICARATARI, CAU-Imphal and other reliable source. Before-After research approach (also called pre-post study) was adopted in assessing the impact of FFP. The collected data was analyze using Wilcoxon sign rank test, correlation analysis and Garrett ranking method. The findings of the study depicted that the implementation of Farmer FIRST Programme show a positive and significant impact in terms of the economic aspects. The percentage increase in net returns was 559.56 per cent, 227.72 per cent, 126.92 per cent, 126.14 per cent, 178.15 per cent and 123.33 per cent for poultry, fishery, paddy, vegetable (Pumpkin), beekeeping and gorgon nut respectively. A great majority of the beneficiaries had medium level of adoption and independent variables i.e. education, training received, extension contact, scientific orientation, market orientation showed positive relationship while age showed negative relationship with adoption of recommended practices of all the interventions of FFP. Various constraints such as lack of farmers to cooperate among them, delay in sanctioning the funds or inputs, some decisions are made at higher level without involving farmers and lack of cooperation with other agencies related to agricultural production with Garrett’s score of 94.54, 94.99, 90.21 and 95.19, respectively were the major constraints perceived as very serious by the farmers in implementation of FFP. Need based training programme and open discussions on a more regular basis, provision of quality and inputs, regular monitoring by the specialists from the concerned departments, more awareness programme and post training evaluation were the perceived suggestions of the farmers to reduce the major constraints faced by the farmers.