PARTICIPATION OF YOUNG GENERATION OF PRACTISING DAIRY FARMERS IN FAMILY DAIRY FARMING

Abstract

The practical exposure or participation offered to the young generation about various tasks related to the occupation is the perfect way to develop family occupational employability or workability. In the occupation like animal husbandry, the young generation must have to practice various tasks on the field on a regular basis if they really want to succeed as adopters of family animal husbandry occupation. The dairy farmers' sons as a future generation are also expected to have the practical exposure related to animal husbandry connected operations to be more successful dairy farmers of the next generation of the family. Considering this, the present study was conducted on a random sample of 200 sons of dairy farmers of Anand and Kheda districts of Gujarat to examine factors influencing the participation of the young generation of practising dairy farmers in family dairy farming. The study concludes that great majority (94.50 per cent) of the young generation of practising dairy farmers in the middle Gujarat had high to a very high level of participation in animal husbandry related operations. The study also reveals that the level of participation in animal husbandry related operations of the young generation of dairy farmers was positively and significantly correlated with their age, marital status, herd size, annual income, scientific orientation and attitude towards farming as a dependable occupation, while it was noticed negatively and significantly correlated with their fathers' education. It shows that the degree of participation of animal husbandry related operations amongst the young generation of dairy farmers was noticed more vigorous amongst those, who had relatively older age, married marital status, bigger herd size, higher annual family income, less educated fathers, high level of orientation towards scientific approaches of life and positive feelings towards farming as an occupation.