Extent and Correlates of Knowledge of Farmers regarding Scientific Potato Production Technologies in Himachal Pradesh
methodsȱofȱpotatoȱproductionȱofȱallȱtheȱrespondentsȱ
Low (Upto 11 years)
18 20.0
wereȱ calculated,ȱ whichȱ wereȱ foundȱ toȱ beȱ 50.18ȱ
Experience
andȱ19.82ȱrespectively.ȱThenȱtheȱrespondentsȱwereȱ
4
in
potato Medium (11-36 years)
53 58.9
categorizedȱ intoȱ threeȱ categoriesȱ whoseȱ respectiveȱ
cultivation
High (>36 years)
19 21.1
KIȱwereȱHighȱ i.e ȱMoreȱthanȱ(Meanȱ+ȱS.D.),ȱMediumȱ
i.e ȱ(Meanȱ–ȱS.D.)ȱtoȱ(Meanȱ+ȱS.D.)ȱandȱLowȱ i.e ȱLessȱ
Agriculture
73 81.1
Main
thanȱ(Meanȱ–ȱS.D.).ȱCorrelationȱanalysisȱwasȱappliedȱ
5
Occupation
Service
9
10.0
toȱfindȱoutȱtheȱassociationȱbetweenȱknowledgeȱofȱtheȱ
Business
8
8.9
respondentsȱandȱsocio-personal-economicȱvariablesȱ
Land
Small (0-3 acres)
69 76.7
ofȱ theȱ respondentsȱ usingȱ Pearsonȱ correlationȱ
6
holding
Medium (3-5 acres)
15 16.6
coefficient.ȱ Otherȱ descriptiveȱ statisticsȱ suchȱ asȱ
(acre)
Large (>5 acres)
6
6.7
frequency,ȱ percentage,ȱ arithmeticȱ meanȱ etc.ȱ wereȱ
Low (upto Rs 15000)
8
8.9
appliedȱasȱandȱwhenȱnecessary.
Annual
7
Medium (Rs 15000-160000)
70 77.8
income
Results and Discussion
High (> Rs 160000)
12 13.3
Socio-personal-economic profile of the respondents
Dataȱrevealedȱthatȱaȱmajorityȱofȱrespondentsȱ(48.9%)ȱ
Theȱ Socio-personal-economicȱ characteristicsȱ ofȱ belongedȱ toȱ middleȱ ageȱ groupȱ (36-50ȱ years)ȱ wereȱ
theȱ potatoȱ growersȱ wereȱ analyzedȱ andȱ resultsȱ areȱ involvedȱinȱpotatoȱcultivation,ȱfollowedȱbyȱoldȱ(30%)ȱ
presentedȱinȱTableȱ2.
andȱ youngȱ (21.1%)ȱ ageȱ groupȱ farmers.ȱ Highestȱ
percentageȱ ofȱ respondentsȱ i.e. ȱ 44.4ȱ perȱ centȱ wereȱ
Table 2. Socio-personal-economic characteristics of potato
educatedȱupȱtoȱhighȱschoolȱlevelȱwhereȱasȱ24.4ȱperȱ
growers
centȱwereȱeducatedȱupȱtoȱPrimaryȱschoolȱlevel.ȱOnlyȱ
N=90
7.7ȱperȱcentȱofȱrespondentsȱwereȱGraduate.ȱFurtherȱ
analysisȱ ofȱ dataȱ showedȱ thatȱ moreȱ thanȱ twoȱ thirdȱ
Socio-
ofȱfarmȱfamiliesȱinvolvedȱinȱpotatoȱcultivationȱwereȱ
Sl.
economic
No.
havingȱ mediumȱ toȱ highȱ familyȱ labourȱ availability.ȱ
attributes
Thisȱmayȱbeȱbecauseȱpotatoȱcultivationȱrequiresȱmoreȱ
labour.ȱTheȱdataȱfurtherȱrevealedȱthatȱaȱmajorityȱofȱ
Young (Below 36 years)
19 21.1
farmersȱ (80%)ȱ wereȱ havingȱ moreȱ thanȱ 11ȱ yearsȱ ofȱ
Age
1
Middle (36-50 years)
44 48.9
(Years)
experienceȱ inȱ potatoȱ cultivationȱ whichȱ showsȱ thatȱ
Old (More than 50 years)
27 30.0
potatoȱisȱaȱtraditionalȱcropȱinȱtheseȱarea.ȱAgricultureȱ
wasȱ foundȱ toȱ beȱ theȱ primaryȱ occupationȱ ofȱ moreȱ
Illiterate
6
6.6
thanȱ 81ȱ perȱ centȱ ofȱ farmersȱ whichȱ indicatedȱ theȱ
Primary school
22 24.4
importanceȱ ofȱ agricultureȱ inȱ providingȱ livelihoodȱ
2
Education
High School (matric)
40 44.4
toȱ farmers.ȱ Theȱ profileȱ clearlyȱ tellsȱ usȱ thatȱ aȱ vast
Intermediate (10+2)
15 16.6
majorityȱ (93.3%)ȱ ofȱ theȱ respondentsȱ wereȱ havingȱ
smallȱ toȱ mediumȱ landȱ holdingȱ (uptoȱ 5ȱ acres)ȱ andȱ
Graduate and above
7
7.7
onlyȱ6.6ȱperȱcentȱofȱfarmersȱhavingȱmoreȱthanȱ5ȱacresȱ
Low (Upto 2 members)
21 23.3
ofȱlandȱholding.ȱThus,ȱitȱclearlyȱindicatedȱthatȱmostlyȱ
Family
3
labour
Medium (2-6 members)
60 66.7
farmersȱhaveȱsmallȱlandȱholdingȱinȱselectedȱdistrictsȱ
availability
ofȱHimachalȱPradesh.ȱThisȱisȱbecauseȱofȱhillyȱterrainȱ
High (more than 6 members)
9
10.0
ofȱ theȱ state.ȱAnnualȱ incomeȱ ofȱ majorityȱ (77.8%)ȱ ofȱ
farmersȱwasȱbetweenȱRsȱ15,000ȱtoȱRsȱ1,60,000/.
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