Farmers’ aspiration on inception of farming system for nutrition at Bhoirymbong, Ribhoi, Meghalaya: a Bayesian belief network—GIS Analysis
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Date
2022-12
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College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University, Imphal
Abstract
The conventional farming systems of Meghalaya largely aim at food security with a major focus on productivity, profitability, sustainability and stability. Nutrition security therefore has to be addressed by both availability and accessibility of nutrient-rich foods at the household level, which is central to Farming System for Nutrition (FSN). The present scientific inquiry with two research objectives, viz., (i) ‘To conduct rapid appraisal on food and nutritional security of farmers by using GIS through UAV data.’ & (ii) ‘To ascertain farmers’ aspiration on inception of Farming System for Nutrition through Bayesian Belief Network.’, has been performed in the three adopted villages of the research project— DHaBReT at Bhoirymbong C&RD block, Ri-bhoi, Meghalaya. Descriptive research design and mixed-method sampling procedure were followed in the study. Fifty four (54) respondents have been identified from three villages, namely (i) Thadnongiaw, (ii) Kdonghulu, and (iii) Liarkhla from Bhoirymbong C&RDB of Ri-bhoi district of Meghalaya. Performance of Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) using UAV data could ascertained that about 38% and 73% of arable land had aspect toward North-West (very low sunshine) and situated in a steep location, wherein administration of improved scientific agriculture was a challenge. With respect to the ‘Implementing Variables’, it could be unveiled that majority (59.30%) of respondents had small ‘Area of arable land’, also majority (63.00%) of them belonged to meagre class of ‘Income from crops and animal husbandry’. Regarding ‘Food expenditure budget share of total household expenditure’, half of the sample size expended high and its vice versa. Strikingly, all the respondents had low ‘Dietary Diversity’. Considering the ‘Intervention Variable’, it was divulged that majority (70.40%) of the respondents had medium ‘Nutritional Literacy’, also 3/4th of sample respondents had medium ‘Awareness on FSN’, and majority (59.30%) of the respondents had medium ‘Community Readiness on Change in Farming System’. For the intermediate variables — ‘Access to on Food and Nutritional Security developmental schemes of Govt.’ and ‘Access to markets’, cent percent of the respondents belonged to low category. Similar is the case for the controlling variable — ‘Intervention of research institutes (InResins)’. Very high percentage (81.60%) of the respondents had low level of ‘Farmers’ aspiration on inception of Farming System for Nutrition (AspFSN)’ which is the objective variable of the study. One episodic and two Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) scenarios have been analyzed in the discourse resulting to decrease in lower category of AspFSN from 81.60 to 66.10 and 58.00 with conditional increase on percentage change of 1.79 to 50.00 and 75.00 respectively towards. The study established that the controlling variable — InResins was the sole determining parental node in the BBN. Therefore, the study recommends that agricultural research institutions such as CPGSAS, CAU (I); ICAR NEH; State Agril. Research institutes etc. should take prime initiatives in order to incept FSN to farmers of Bhoirymbong, Ri-bhoi, Meghalaya.