A STUDY ON THE EXTENT OF ADOPTION OF SCIENTIFIC MUGA CULTURE TECHNOLOGY BY THE REARERS OF SONITPUR DISTRICT OF ASSAM
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Date
2021
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AAU, Jorhat
Abstract
The present study was conducted in Sonitpur district of Assam during the year 2020-2021. To attain the objective of the study a multistage sampling design was followed for selection of the respondents and a total of 120 respondents were selected. Appropriate statistical tools viz., frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation and chi-square test were applied to analyse the data.
The study revealed that majority of the respondents (42.50%) belonged to the middle age group. Most of the respondents (47.50%) belonged to the category OBC (Other Backward Class) and had their (35.00%) education up to middle school. Among the respondents, medium size (50.00%) family was found to be dominant and farming was their primary occupation with medium level of income ranging from Rs. 52,000-1,71,000. Regarding size of operational land holding, majority (40.83%) of the muga farmers owned operational land holding of 1-2 ha. Majority of the respondents (48.33%) had farming experience between 10-20 years. It was also observed that most of the respondents had medium level of extension contact (73.33%), medium risk bearing ability (65.83%), medium decision making ability (60.83%) and medium level of marketing orientation (69.17%). As regards to training exposure, only 27.50 per cent of the respondents had received any training.
The study further revealed that 65.83 per cent muga farmers had medium level of extent of adoption. Operational land holding, primary occupation of the family, annual family income, farming experience, risk bearing ability, decision making ability, marketing orientation and training exposure were found to be positively and significantly associated with the extent of adoption.
Major problems faced by the muga rearers are lack of self-awareness or interest on adoption of technology, lack of glamour, lack of own land, adverse climatic condition, non-availability of storage facilities for cocoons, lack of adequate knowledge regarding cultivation practices of host plants and rearing practices of muga, non-availability of regulated cocoon market, non-availability of own vehicle and delay in getting loan.
Adoption of scientific technologies among the farmers has significant impact on growth and development of muga silk industry as well as economic benefit of the farmer. Effective extension intervention may aid the process of intensification for full scale commercialization of muga silk production by facilitating adoption of scientific package of practices. Suitable and need based training should be organised by the concerned authority for improving knowledge and skills regarding scientific muga rearing and cultivation practices in the study area.