Adoption of Mass Media Information for Decision-Making Among Vegetable Growers in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The food and agricultural sectors in developing countries have undergone significant changes, where the relative importance of grains and staple foods is declining while that of high value agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and eggs is significantly increasing (Gulati et al., 2007). As high value agricultural products are comparatively more perishable in nature, it requires greater coordination in the way the food is produced, processed, marketed and consumed (Busch and Bain, 2004; Deshingkar et al., 2003; Henson and Reardon, 2005; Swinnen and Maertens, 2007). Due to structural changes in global food consumption and demand, the production of these high value commodities is also responding in a similar manner. India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world with over 122.3 million tonnes, after China and accounts for about 15 per cent of the world’s production of vegetables. Around 7.7 million hectares of area is under vegetable cultivation, which is about 5.4 per cent of the total area under cultivation in the country. With the advancement and adoption of new techniques conducive to different soil and climate types, vegetable production in the country has significantly increased in the recent decade. With the emerging consumer market for vegetables and vegetable products and growing organised retailing of fresh products, the production of vegetables needs new directions on cultivation practices, use of high-yielding and modern variety seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides, irrigation technologies, post-harvest management and logistics and distribution. Although the future of vegetable production in the country seems very bright, for realising the full potential of the vegetable sector, efforts need to be made in delivering skills and knowledge through effective extension services. The empirical evidence suggests that farmers with resources and skills to produce high value commodities are increasingly getting better opportunities for increasing their income and employment (Birthal et al., 2005). In