A STUDY ON COMMUNICATION NETWORK ANALYSIS OF DAIRY FARMERS IN KUMAON DIVISION OF UTTARAKHAND
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Date
2024-02-01
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G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar-263145
Abstract
Dairy contributes significantly towards socioeconomic development of rural households in the country as it
is closely integrated with farming systems of rural India. In Uttarakhand, availability of abundant grazing land and
forests makes it all the more important as it provides gainful employment to family members of rural households.
Information about scientific dairy farming practices needs to be communicated to the dairy farmers so that they can
enhance the productivity as well as production efficiency. Communication Networks play an important role in
disseminating information about appropriate feeding, breeding, and disease management practices through relevant
communication networks, as well as in improving animal health and yielding higher milk production. Thus, the
knowledge of communication networks and the information flow will be useful in upscaling the knowledge and skills
of the dairy farmers.
Thus, there is an urgent need to analyze communication network and information flow between network
members in dairy sector for effectively addressing the diverse and varied information needs of dairy farmers. If, the
right communication networks are identified for information exchange about improved dairy farming practices within
the community, it may help in promoting innovations through extension services and other livestock programme,
schemes, projects. Keeping this in view a study entitled “A study on Communication Network Analysis of Dairy
Farmers in Kumaon Division of Uttrakhand” was undertaken.
The present study was conducted in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand. The study followed descriptive
research design to meet the objectives of the study. Two districts were selected purposively on the basis of maximum
number of organized milk societies and highest number of memberships (dairy farmers). The two blocks from each
district were then selected purposively on the basis of maximum number of dairy cooperative societies. Later, two
villages were selected from each block through random sampling without replacement. Thirty dairy farmers from
each of the eight selected village (sample size 240) were selected for the study through purposive sampling. The data
was collected through pre-tested interview schedule and collected data was coded, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted
with the help of Excel, SPSS and UCINET software.
From the study findings, it can be concluded that majority of the respondents were male, middle aged,
married, educated up to high school, belonged to upper caste, belonged to nuclear family with family size (<7
members), respectively. As regards dairy farming experience majority of the respondents had medium level (23-
41years) of dairy farming experience, having land less than 1 hectare with primary occupation agriculture along with
dairy farming and secondary occupation as agriculture labour. It was also found that majority of the respondents had
less than 4 herd size, less than 15 liter milk production, earned monthly income from dairy farming between
Rs.10,000 to Rs.19,000 and earned an annual income between Rs.173,333- Rs. 556,667. It was found that all of the
respondents possessed television, displayed medium information seeking and sharing behaviour. Further, it was
observed that majority of the respondents had medium level of economic motivation, scientific orientation, risk
orientation and management orientation.
Study of communication network among the dairy farmers seeking dairy related information showed that
total 29 respondents occupied the central position in the communication network as the holder of influence with
respect to dissemination of dairy information. These dairy farmers can serve as Key Communicators in the village(s)
for the promotion of dairy farming. Further, majority of the respondents displayed medium level of knowledge of
improved dairy farming practices. Also, it was found that selected profile characteristics of dairy farmers such as
education, experience, herd size, daily milk production, monthly income from dairy farming, total annual income,
economic motivation, scientific orientation, management orientation, decision making ability, risk taking ability,
information seeking behaviour and information sharing behaviour were found to have had positively and significant
relationship with their knowledge of improved dairy farming practices. Age and land holding of the respondents had
non-significant relationship with their knowledge of improved dairy farming practices. Major constraints as reported
by the dairy farmers were unavailability of vaccines, low price of milk offered, lack of training facilities in dairy
sector, inadequate or lack of information about government schemes. The identified opinion leaders as well as the
type of communication networks among the dairy farmers will revitalize and reinvigorate the dairy sector in
Uttarakhand. The study outcomes are important as it will help dairy professionals, researchers, policy makers in
advancing the cause of dairy farming in the state.
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