Socio-economic Status Of Farmers Research Articles

Socio-economic conditions of the farmers

Agroforestry empowers farmers to take risk in long term investments like growing tree species and/ or rearing livestock, fluctuation in price and increase or decrease in demand and supply of agri produces. To access socio-economic conditions of both agroforestry and non agroforestry farmers, a survey was conducted in Haridwar, India. To analyze it, data pertaining to socio-economic indicators such as income level and employment, family size and community structure like land holding value, land distribution and ownership type, housing characteristics and labour resources were collected and then compared. To elaborate this comparison more, some other factors like farming and agroforestry experience, decision making, knowledge, awareness and favor to agroforestry etc. were also studied. Results revealed that approximately 97.8 per cent of sampled households were male headed. Approximately 18.90 per cent agroforestry and 34.43 per cent non-agroforestry respondents were having less than 1 ha of land. About 75.62 per cent agroforestry farmers and 67.21 per cent non agroforestry farmers considered farming as main occupation. The higher income status in categories was found more (12.60% and 27.40%) in agroforestry respondents than (6.56% and 14.75%) in non agroforestry respondents. It was concluded that higher income status enables agroforestry farmers to live their live style according to their own choice, hence, encouraging them to adopt, continue or promote agroforestry in their field.

Determinants of Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change: A Case Study from the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Socio-economic conditions of farmers, especially in the coastal region in Bangladesh, have been severely affected because of climate change. This study was focused on analyzing the farmers’ perception of climate change by examining three vital issues: (1) description of the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers; (2) reporting on the perception of farmers experiences with climatic change; and (3) identification of the socio-economic factors associated with farmers’ perception of climate change. The study area encompasses three villages within the coastal region (Sathkhira district) of Bangladesh, a geographic region where climate change literature has highlighted as prone to accelerated degradation. A logit model, along with weighted indexes for ranking and descriptive statistics, was used to analyze the result of 100 farmers surveyed by questionnaire. We found that the majority of the farmers (88%) perceived changes in climatic conditions. Almost all farmers indicated increases in temperature, droughts, floods, cyclones, salinity level and decreasing rainfall over the last 20 years. The logit model explained that out of the nine factors surveyed; education, family size, farm size, family income, farming experiences and training received were significantly related and influential factors to perception of climate change. Therefore, government and non-governmental organizations are recommended to push forward with interventions, especially focusing on identified factors, in order to strengthen the farmers’ capacity to battle against climate change effects.

The Analyses of Factors Influencing Farmers’ Motivation at Cacao Farming in North Lombok

The purpose of this study was to: (1). Knowing the level of production and the factors that influence the motivation of farmers in the farming of cocoa (Theobroma cacao. L) in North Lombok regency. (2). Knowing the relationship between the factors that influence the motivation of farmers in the farming of cocoa (Theobroma cacao. L) in North Lombok regency. (3). Knowing the constraints faced by cocoa farmers in farming in North Lombok regency. This research uses the descriptive method with survey techniques. The unit of analysis in this study is a cocoa farm in North Lombok regency. While the analysis is Logistic Regression and Spearman Rank Correlation. The results showed that the level of cocoa production in the year 2014 for all Sub-District in North Lombok regency as follows: District Winning as much as 25736.65 tons, District of Tanjung many as 79 920 tons, District Ganges as much as 358 596 tonnes, District Kayangan as much as 141 152 tonnes and the District Bayan as much as 19528.25 tons. Category factor affects the motivation of farmers in farming cocoa is the factor of socio-economic status of farmers covers formal education including lower categories, dependents medium category, experience medium category, economic factors include the availability of inputs, including the medium category, the relative advantages including very high category, guarantees market including very low category, social-technical factors include the level of potential suitability of land including appropriate category, the level of saving time farming include the category of very fast and the level of the local cultural appropriateness included the category of very appropriate. Factors influencing market guarantee to motivate cocoa farmers farming. Availability saprodi, relative advantage, a guaranteed market, the level of cultivation time savings have a relationship with the cocoa farming farmer motivation. Constraints in cocoa farming is attack of plant pests and diseases, limited means of production and the limited information on the location of the cultivation and marketing.

Socio-economic status of the farmers and economic analysis of poultry farming at Gazipur district in Bangladesh

The study was conducted to identify the socio-economic status of the poultry farmers and economic analysis of poultry farming at Gazipur, Bangladesh. A Total of 40 poultry farms (20 broilers and 20 layers) were selected. The farmers and farming were evaluated through the analysis of data that were collected in a pre-structured questionnaire. This study revealed that comparatively rich farmers (42.5% had >4.94 acre of land) were involved in farming. There were significant variations (p<0.05) in source of investment (57.5% own, 32.5% bank loan, 7.5% from money lenders with interest and 5% from money lenders without interest), training (72.5% not received and 27.5% received), farming as an occupation for the farmers (55% main and 45% subsidiary occupation), amount of loan taken (50% have loan and 50% have no loan), level of educational knowledge (62.5% poor, 25% medium and 23.5 % high), sources of drinking water (87.5% have own tube-well), latrine condition (67.5% have sanitary latrine) and health status of the farmers (30% good, 50% medium and 20% poor). There were no significant variation (p>0.05) in farm size and management skills of the farmers. The average number of children per farmer attends to primary school, high school, college and university were 0.7, 0.75, 0.1 and 0.01 in case of boys and 0.5, 0.45, 0.07 and 0.01 in case of girls, respectively. Per bird average annual rearing cost, return, and cost benefit ratio were 925.5 BDT., 1080 BDT. and 1:1.17 in broiler and 1332.5 BDT., 2210 BDT. and 1:1.66 in layer, respectively. This study recommends although initial investment is higher; layer farming is more profitable than broiler.International Journal of Natural Sciences (2014), 4(2) 8-12

Influence of Socio-Economic Conditions of Farmers on the Control of Insect Pests of Citrus in Benue State, Nigeria

<p>Despite the significant losses of citrus fruits due to insect pests damage, not all farmers control the menace of these pests. Control of these pests is inevitable for high quality, sustained and increased production of the product and income for the farmers. It is, therefore, imperative in the study to empirically establish the socio-economic variables of citrus farmers influencing the control of citrus insect pests. To achieve this, data collected from a random sample of 50 commercial citrus farmers from the major producing areas of Benue State in 2014, through the use of questionnaire, were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics and logistic regression model. With the exception of age with a coefficient of -.035, which influenced the control of insect pests negatively, the influence of other variables such as education (.362), experience (.159), gender (.992), income from citrus (.002) and income from other enterprises (.001) were positive, although only education and income earned from citrus were significant at 10% and 1% level of probability, respectively. Control of insect pests of citrus can be better achieved by potential and existing farmers if their education and earning from citrus production are continually and simultaneously increased.</p>

Implications of Irrigation Water Crisis on Socio-economic Condition of Farmers in Faisalabad District, Punjab, Pakistan

Implications of Irrigation Water Crisis on Socio-economic Condition of Farmers in Faisalabad District, Punjab, Pakistan

Impact of plant protection activities on production and productivity of crops in Jammu region (J&K), India

Impact of Plant Protection Activities on Production and Productivity of Crops in Jammu Region (J&K), India The impact of plant protection activities conducted during 2010-11 to 2015-16 was studied based on individual interactions as well as Focused Group Discussion (FGD) of 100 farmers in Reasi district of J&k, India. Their response to a pre-defined questionnaire indicated that the activities enhanced the intensity of crop substitution, escalated Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) with intensification of input use. Improved crop production and productivity with reduced production cost and also enhanced profit margin with other short term effect of the programmes. Under performance of technologies tested in OFTs for management of Chili wilt diseases was recorded 22.5% less disease incidence with 24.5% yield advantage over control, 20% yield enhanced over control in management of red pumpkin beetle in bottle gourd, 25% less rotting with 35%yield advantage over control in IDM module for rhizome rot management in ginger, 10.5% additional yield over control in loose smut disease management in wheat and 45.5% additional yield over control in yellow rust disease management in wheat. Performance of Front Line Demonstrations on plant protection activities conducted by KVK, Reasi during 2010- 11 to 2015-16 showed 15.5% more yield than the local practice no spraying of pesticides with reduced wilt incidence under IDM for wilt management in tomato. The demonstration has exhibited 25.5% more yield than the local practice (not use of pesticides) of IDM in Chilli wilt, the demonstrated fungicides exhibited 20.5% higher yield than un sprayed crop under yellow rust disease management in wheat. The varieties i.e. PBW-175 exhibited 25.5% higher yield than the local check under yellow rust disease of wheat tolerant varieties. The demonstration has exhibited 34.5% more yield than the local practice under IDM modules for rhizome rot management in ginger. Under plant protection activities on productivity of crops over time under rainfed condition exhibited in maize in 2010-11 there was only 14 qt/ha yields of maize var. Double Deklab which increased up to 26 qt/ha in 2015-16 after KVK interventions. So, there was increased 85.71 % in the yield. Similarly, there was enhanced 71.42% yield of maize var. Bio seed in the same duration. There was enhanced in 64.28% and 85.71 % of wheat yield of varieties PBW-175 and Raj- 3765 respectively during the same period. The increase in yield of mash variety Uttara was 37.50%, lentil var. L-4147 65.71%, mustard var. RSPR-01 51.11% and Oat var. Kent 86.25% respectively in the same year. Development of professionalism and entrepreneurship resulting in enriched socio economic status of farmers were also indicated. The productivity of crops was found to be influenced ..

Impact of “Integrated Murrah Development Scheme” (IMDS) on dairy farmers of Haryana state of India

The present study was taken up to measure the impact “Integrated Murrah Development Schemes (IMDS) on socio-economic status of the beneficiaries as well as on productive and reproductive performance of the Murrah buffaloes of the beneficiaries. ‘Z’ test analysis indicated that there was significant difference in socio-economic status of the beneficiaries and non beneficiaries viz; milk consumption, milk sale at 5 % level of probability, while; herd size, type of animal shed, material possession, milk production, annual income from dairying, annual gross income of the respondents at 1 % level of probability. Similarly, there was significant difference in productive and reproductive performance of Murrah buffaloes of the beneficiaries and non beneficiaries viz; age at first calving, calving interval, at 5 % level of probability; while, number of AIs required per conception, lactation length, dry period, average lactation milk yield, average daily milk yield and peak yield at 1 % level of probability. Most of the beneficiaries (73.75%) had medium level overall impact of IMDS on socio-economic status of the beneficiaries followed by high (17.50%) and low (8.75%). Whereas, medium level overall impact of IMDS was found on the productive and reproductive performance of Murrah buffaloes of the majority beneficiaries (89.38%) followed by high impact on few (10.63%). Such development programmes should be promoted for the improvement of socio economic status of farmers as well as improvement of milk productivity of the animals.

Adoption of Green River Project Fish Farming Technologies by Farmers in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The study assessed adoption of improved fish farming technologies by fish farmers as well as socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, level of adoption of GRP fish farming technologies and constraints to adoption of the technologies. The hypothesis of the study was that socioeconomic conditions of farmers do not significantly influence adoption of GRP technologies. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents from two states in Niger Delta. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis and factor analysis were used to analyze data. Results showed that majority (76.7% and 77.5%) of the fish farmers were male and married respectively. Mean age of the respondents was 50 years and majority were literates. Majority of the respondents adopted fish farm management technologies (79%), feeding techniques (79%), fish culture management techniques (77%) and water quantity and quality management techniques (88%). Constraints to adoption of the technologies included technology- related constraints such as existence of technologies better than GRP technologies (with loading of 0.536) and input- related constraints such as: late arrival of GRP input (0.760). Result of the hypothesis was that some socioeconomic characteristics of farmers (age and years spent in school) affected adoption. It was recommended that there should be involvement of youths in the project, provision of sufficient inputs to farmers at the right time and measures to increase collaboration between GRP and other agencies that disseminate improved fish farming technologies in the area.Keywords: GRP, Technology, fish farming

A diagnostic study on livestock production system in Eastern Region of India

A study was conducted in seven east Indian states to understand the livestock production and management systems for making strategies for the improving livestock production. The data were collected from 2 districts from each state and from each district 25 farmers, on socio-economic status of farmers, animal status, feeding system, health status, breeding methods, assistance needs etc. Family size varied from 5.31 (West Bengal) to 9.48 (eastern Uttar Pradesh) and mostly heads of families were educated having more than 0.5 ha of agriculture land. The majority (70.86%) of the farmers were not able to spare agriculture land for fodder production. A large number of farmers in Asom, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand had non-descript cows. However, the majority of farmers surveyed in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh had crossbred cow. Average milk production (kg/d), lactation length (m) and dry period (m) amongst animals of eastern region for non-descripts cows 2.48, 7.71, and 6.66, for crossbred cows 7.20, 9.08, and 3.85 and for buffaloes 5.54, 8.56, and 6.93, respectively. The majority of the farmers of the region reported foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as a major concern and were not satisfied with their animals and production. It can be concluded that livestock farmers of the region are in great need of improved breeds, capacity building on balance feeding and general management practices for better and sustainable animal production.

Introduction of corriedale rams for improving meat and wool quality in hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir

Sheep is one of the most important source of livelihood and a sustainable sourceof wool and meat for farmers in hilly areas. Sheep farming plays an important role for the upliftment of livelihood security and also improves socio-economic status of farmers in J&K hills. Sheep is a good source of wool and fibre but due to poor genetic trait for wool quality of local non-descript breeds and consequent less returns, farmers in Doda and Kishtwar have now stopped rearing sheep for wool purpose. A good breeding program is required whichresults in a flock of sheep that has a high reproductive rate, good lamb survival and good lamb growth rates. So with these points in mind pure breed Corriedale rams were introduced for breeding purpose in these hilly areas of Jammu under NAIP-Doda. Near about 20 pure bred Corriedale breeding rams were distributed among different farmers in all the three clusters near about 18 villages. Breeding in these hilly areas is mostly done twice in a year. These lambs were then used for wool or meat purpose depending on the need of farmer. Shearing of wool is done twice in a year. Wool is sold at a rate of Rs. 40-50 per Kg and meat can be sold at a rate of Rs. 230-240 per Kg. These lambs attain weight of approximately 20-25kg in a period of 1.5 to 2 years. So introduction of Corriedale ram was a great success in improving the livelihood security and generating a sustainable source of income among the farmers. Moreover it was also seen farmers were now more interested in meat production then wool production.

Causes of Low Agricultural Output and Impact on Socio-economic Status of Farmers: A Case Study of Rural Potohar in Pakistan

Farmers, Sosio-economic status, Agricultural Agriculture being the key sector for economy of Pak istan occupies central place. Since its inception, this sector is subsistent and facing many risks and vulnerability. Over the time due to technological g ap in developing countries, they failed to develop rapid expansion and productivity in this sector. The present study is a qualitative analysis conducted to explor e the causes of low productivity in agriculture sector, and finding its impacts on t he socioeconomic status of farmer. The study conducted a questionnaire survey for the rural farmers residing in Potohar region. A sample of 100 respondents has been chosen, and analysis is carried out by using SPSS software. The study concl uded that the higher growth rate for the agriculture sector is very important ffast overall improvement of the economy, macroeconomic constancy, employment ge neration, and decrease in rural poverty.

Quality of Life in Majalengka, Indonesia: The Socioeconomic Status of Farmers and Environmental Conditions after Transmigration (transmigrasi)

Quality of Life in Majalengka, Indonesia: The Socioeconomic Status of Farmers and Environmental Conditions after Transmigration (transmigrasi)

Pollen flows within and between rice and millet fields in relation to farmer variety development in The Gambia

In areas with less favourable conditions for agriculture, informal seed systems permit gene flow through pollen to play a crucial role in the development of new varieties. An important factor with great impact on cross-pollination is the plant breeding system, but so far this is little studied within the context of low-input farming systems. This research studied the chances of cross-pollination within and between rice fields in The Gambia. Size and time of flowering were measured for 28 rice fields in one village. The level of mixture was measured in 90 seed lots of rice collected from four villages. Based on the results, we suggest that in general cross-pollination between different rice genotypes occurs more often within fields than between fields. No clear relationship was found between the level of within-field mixture and socio-economic status of farmers. Some comparison was made with millet, which allowed the identification of various factors influencing pollen flow between different genotypes. Effective pollen flow (between genotypes) is a function of a number of factors, such as the rate of cross-pollination of a crop, number of off-types within fields, variety distinctiveness, farmer expert knowledge, length and reliability of the rainy season, growth duration of different varieties, availability of fields, pest pressure and number of varieties grown per field or per farmer. We hypothesize that a low cross-pollination rate is more favourable for the development of new varieties in farmer fields than a high cross-pollination rate.

Agricultural intensification: food insecurity to income security in a mid-hill watershed of Nepal

A shift from cultivating cereal crops towards vegetables and other cash crops has evolved through the process of agricultural intensification in the hills of the Himalayan region. Agricultural intensification has attracted the attention of researchers in Nepalese agriculture due to its potential impacts on the environment and socio-economic status of farmers. Nevertheless, socio-economic drivers of agricultural intensification are as yet poorly studied in the Himalayan region. Farmers' perceptions of the effects of agricultural intensification on society and the environment are analysed in the Ansikhola watershed of Kavre district, Nepal. Before the onset of agricultural intensification, food sufficiency was the primary measure of the economic condition of farmers. However, in recent years agricultural income and profits have become key socio-economic measures. This study reveals that intensive agricultural practices shifted need-based cereal farming to market-oriented vegetable-based production systems, thereby improving socio-economic conditions for farmers. Positive changes in wealth and social status, migration from rural to urban areas, and shift in social division of labour are other important impacts.

Biology of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and the management options for growers in north‐western Pakistan

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is cultivated as a medicinal plant but it also can be a troublesome weed. It is an annual or biennial herb that prefers high rainfall and fertile soils. Milk thistle has become a widespread weed in north‐western Pakistan, where it causes yield reductions ≤37% in wheat and poses harvesting problems due to its thorny nature. Shortcomings in cultural practises, such as a low crop seed rate, wide row spacing, broadcast fertilizer, and limited crop rotation have contributed to milk thistle becoming a severe weed problem for farmers in this region. This paper reviews the biology of milk thistle and discusses the possible management options for its control, considering the socioeconomic conditions of farmers in Pakistan.

Economic housing design and stocking densities for rural poultry production in Assam

Preliminary observations on the socio-economic status of poultry farmers in rural areas in Assam and the demographic distribution of the poultry, indicated that a large section of unemployed youth, landless labour and housewives, earned their livelihood through poultry (broiler) farming. Apart from good quality stock and feed, these farmers were also very enthusiastic to rear their birds in low-cost comfortable housing with optimum stocking density, in order to have a better remuneration for their product. Keeping this in mind, a study was conducted on the effect of different roofing materials (polythene sheet, corrugated iron sheet and thatch) and stocking densities (0.75 and 1.00 sq. ft. per bird) on the performance of broilers in rural conditions in Assam. Results of the study in respect of socioeconomic status of the farmers, demographic distribution and productive performance in terms of body weight, weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and mortality and economy are highlighted. A total of 600-day-old commercial broiler chicks, in five groups, were used in the study.

Protective measure use and symptoms among agropesticide applicators in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan farmers use large amounts of pesticides to control the pests affecting their vegetable crops. Improper use of pesticides by farmers has resulted in poisoning of occupational origin. This paper examines the use of protective measures by pesticide applicators and its relationship to their illness symptoms. The data were collected by interviewing a stratified random sample of 150 farmers from predominantly vegetable growing areas of the Matale district during 1990/91 using structured questionnaires. These data were supplemented with secondary data and observation of all stages of pesticide application. Scales were constructed to measure the domains of material style of life, awareness and use of protective measures, and illness symptoms experienced by pesticide applicators. It was found that most of the farmers were aware of the protective measures to be used when applying pesticides. There was, however, no significant positive relationship between awareness and use of protective measures. The main reason for not using protective measures was discomfort. The most common symptoms reported by pesticide applicators were faintish feeling, headache and dizziness. A significant negative relationship was observed between use of protective measures and symptoms exhibited within four hours of application. It is recommended that protective materials adapted to the climate and socio-economic conditions of farmers be developed, and that farmers be encouraged to use these protective materials through appropriate educational efforts and incentives.

Tillage systems for root and tuber crops in the tropics

Although limited information is available on tillage practices for root crops, published results show that tillage methods vary widely depending upon the specific root crop, the soil type, the previous vegetation, as well as the socio-economic conditions of farmers. These aspects are discussed in this review. In general terms, it has been found that root and tuber crops are sensitive to soil compaction, inadequate aeration or poor drainage and therefore respond favorably to intensive tillage, followed by ridging or mounding. However, large differences exist between crops, with potato, sweet potato and yam requiring more intensive cultivation than cassava and taro. On light-textured soils, cassava can be grown without or with minimum tillage as long as weeds are controlled; in heavy or compacted soil cassava responds favorably to tillage and yields tend to increase when grown on ridges. In order to reduce erosion as well as production costs, cassava should be grown with as little tillage as possible as long as high yield can be maintained. Contour ridging and mulching are other practices that not only tend to increase yields but also reduce erosion losses. Organized data for use in a classification of the tillage requirements of different soils for the various root crops is lacking. We suggest that research efforts should be directed towards the characterization of the physico-chemical and biological factors which determine the tillage requirements of a given soil for a given root crop.

Profitability of Summer BARI Hybrid Tomato Cultivation in Jessore District of Bangladesh

The present study was conducted at Bagherpara thana under Jessore district to assess the profitability, contribution of factors to production and changes in socio-economic status of the farmers. About 42% and 21% of total variable cost was incurred for tunnel preparation and using human labour, respectively. The average yield of BARI hybrid tomato was found 32.78 t/ha. The average return per hectare over variable cost is observed to be Tk 11,44,387 on full cost basis and Tk 12,07,481 on cash cost basis. On an average benefit cost ratio was found to be 4.19 on full cost basis and 5.09 on cash cost basis. The cost per kilogram of hybrid tomato cultivation was Tk 10.94 and return from one kilogram of tomato production was Tk 45.83. The functional analysis shows that MP and TSP had positive significant contribution to yield while human labour, hormone, irrigation and seed had negative significant impact on yield of hybrid tomato. The overall socio-economic status of the sample farmers was found increased by 20.33 percent. High price of tunnel materials, timely non availability of hormone, insect and diseases attack were reportedly the major problems for tomato production. Key words: Hybrid tomato, profitability, socio-economic status. DOI: 10.3329/jard.v7i1.4424 J Agric Rural Dev 7(1&2), 73-79, June 2009