MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR AND CONSTRAINTS IN ADOPTION OF POTATO CUTIVATION TECHOLOGY BY POTATO GROWERS UNDER CONTRACT FARMING

Abstract

Most of the farm operators being small and marginal farmers in India, there are problems in getting quality raw material for processing, marketing, and distribution, especially in perishable high value crops but contract farming which was restricted, largely, to seed production earlier, spread to perishable produce and has now become the dominant and growing mode of raw material production and procurement co-ordination among the processors and fresh produce market and exporters. Potato is very important perishable high value crop in North Gujarat Agro-climatic zone of Gujarat state with the cultivating area of 97,204 hector in six districts of North Gujarat (Anon.2014-15). Therefore, the present investigation was conducted in the North Gujarat Agro climatic Zone of Gujarat state. Two districts viz., Banaskantha and Sabarkantha occupy the highest area under potato cultivation in North Gujarat and hence, were selected purposively for study. Ten potato growers were randomly selected from twenty villages. In all, 200 contracting potato growers were selected for the study. Important motivated factors farmers toward contract farming were; assured price, price stability, no tension of marketing, technical advice to control pests and diseases, no cash payment for seed. Majority (78.00%) of the potato growers had medium to high level of adoption regarding potato cultivation technology. Major constraints faced by potato growers in adoption of potato cultivation technology under contract farming were; high rejection rate, low contract price, high cost of inputs given by contracting company, poor quality seed supply by company and manipulation of norms by firm. Important suggestions expressed by the potato growers were; provision of supportive price, quality seed to be provided by company, government intervention for making strict laws to make legal contracts and technical advice to control pests and diseases.