KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OF FARMERS ABOUT GRAIN STORAGE PRACTICES IN JUNAGADH DISTRICT OF GUJARAT STATE 2834
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Date
2019-07
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Publisher
JAU, JUNAGADH
Abstract
Grain storage is a site or physical structure regularly used to store grain for
producers or to store grain acquired from producers for resale. Storage is method of
storing grain for human consumption. Food is the symbol of life and prosperity. Food
grain comprising of cereals, millets and pulses is the primary and staple food of
majority of the population in India. For fetching higher prices to the food grains in the
market not only production of grains is important but storage of grains is very
important. But farmer’s multiple roles especially in storage are generally
underestimated and undervalued and they are kept away from the reach of advanced
improved grain storage technologies. Therefore, it was worthwhile to study entitled
“Knowledge and Adoption of Farmers about Grain Storage Practices in Junagadh
District of Gujarat State”. This study was carried out with specific objectives: to study
the personal, socio-economic, communicational, psychological characteristics of
farmers as well as to study the extent of knowledge and adoption of them about grain
storage practices; to study the association between farmers’ knowledge and adoption
about grain storage practices with their selected characteristics, to find out constraints
and seek suggestion from the respondents to overcome constraints faced by them.
A study was conducted in Junagadh district of Gujarat state. In order to realize
the objectives of the study, 4 talukas were selected randomly for the study where
generally farmers store grain as well as familiar area for researcher. 3 villages from
each taluka were selected randomly and 10 respondents from each selected village
were selected randomly as sample. Hence, total 120 farmers were studied. The data
were collected by personal interview method. The data so collected were coded,
classified and tabulated analyzed in order to make meaning conclusions.
The results of the study revealed that more than half (56.67 per cent) of the
farmers were in middle aged, (51.66 per cent) were educated up to middle school or
secondary school level, (35.00 per cent) were five to six member in family; whereas
majority of the respondents had medium experience in grain storage (60.00 per cent),
medium size of land holding (63.33 per cent), medium annual income (51.67 per
cent), medium social participation (55.83 per cent), medium level quantity of grain
stored (70.83 per cent), medium extension participation (63.33 per cent), medium
mass media exposure (66.67 per cent), medium scientific orientation (70.83 per cent),medium risk orientation (63.33 per cent).
Majority (73.33 per cent) of the respondents had medium knowledge level,
followed by 17.50 per cent and 9.17 per cent of the respondents had high and low
knowledge level, respectively. Majority (65.83 per cent) of the respondents had
medium level of adoption, followed by 20.00 and 14.17 per cent of respondents had
low and high level of adoption about grain storage practices, respectively.
The data on practice wise adoption revealed that the level of adoption was
found highest in practice like appropriate method of sun drying for grains and it
secured rank 1st, followed by use of castor oil (rank II), fumigation (rank III), use of
different structure of grain storage (rank IV), use of galvanized iron bin and RCC
structure (rank V), use of custard apple seed powder (rank VI), use of wood ash (rank
VII), use of cow dung slurry or mud for plug of the earthen pot (rank VIII), use of
gunny bag (rank IX), use of stand and ventilator (rank X).
Out of twelfth independent variables, education, size of family and mass
media exposure had positive and highly significant association with knowledge as
well as adoption of farmers, whereas experience in grain storage, annual income,
social participation, quantity of grain storage, extension participation, scientific
orientation and risk orientation had positive and significant association, while age had
negative and significant association, and size of land holding had positive and non significant with knowledge as well as adoption of farmers about grain storage
practices.
Major constraints faced by respondents were; non availability of modern
storage structures for grain storage, lack of information about chemical control of
stored grain pest, lack of knowledge about improved technology of stored grains.
Major suggestions offered by respondents were; subsidy should be provided
by government to construct new storage structure, storage facilities should be created
by government, guidance should be made available by extension agency regarding
management of stored grains.