AN OVERVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF DAIRY FARMERS AND FARM WOMEN RELATED TO IMPROVED DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES IN INDIA

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "AN OVERVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF DAIRY FARMERS AND FARM WOMEN RELATED TO IMPROVED DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES IN INDIA"

Transcription

1 Agric. Rel{., 23 (2) : , 2002 AN OVERVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF DAIRY FARMERS AND FARM WOMEN RELATED TO IMPROVED DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES IN INDIA Uma Sah, Shantanu Kumar and R.M. FuIzeIe* Central Potato Research Station, Shillong , India ABSTRACT This current scenario of dairying in India calls for intensive efforts directed towards enhancing the milk production, productivity and the acceptance of recommended dairy farming practices at the household level. Enhancing the knowledge of dairy farmers arid farm- women would be the first step towards attaining a higher-level adoption level of the recommended dairy practices by them. Knowledge is a pre-requisite to the proper utilisation of improved dairy farming practices by the dairy farmers and farm women, and is ultimately linked with the increased economic returns from dairying. Knowledge has been a subject of interest to the researchers and several efforts have been conducted in different parts of the country in the past in this regard. However, these efforts are sporadic in nature, The present article is an effort to compile the studies done so far relating to knowledge of dairy farmers and farm- women and draw certain meaningful conclusions. This effort could be of great utility to the extension managers, policy planners and au those involved in dairy development to devise suitable dairy development activities and also in proper targeting of these activities. Indian farming is an economic symbiosis between crop and animal husbandry. Dairying, a major constituent of animal husbandry, plays pivotal role in mixed farming of rural areas and provides four fold benefits of nutrition, employment, regular cash as well as draught power and organic manure to 70 million farm families across the country. Owing.to this, dairying has received considerable attention of planners in the country. These efforts have yielded the dividends. Though India has made significant achievement by attaining the status of world's largest milk producer (Parada, 1999), the facts remain that India's share in world's milk production is only per cent despite possessing the world's largest bovine population (Gurnani eta!, 1996); there is a poor acceptance level of the recommended scientific dairy farming practices (De, 1994; Suresh eta!, 1995; Sah, 1996; Sinha, 1997) and the productivity of dairy animals is low, averaging about 1,5 Iitres per day (Dairy India, 1997). This scenario of dairying in India calls National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal , India. for intensive efforts directed towards enhancing the milk production, productivity and the acceptance of recommended dairy farming practices at the household level. Enhancing the knowledge of dairy farmers and farm women would be the first step towards attaining a higher-level adoption level of the recommended dairy practices, Knowledge refers to collection of facts, values, and information, etc. to which individual has access through study, institution or experience. Knowledge is a pre-requisite to the proper utilisation of improved dairy farming practices by the dairy farmers and farm women, and is ultimately linked with the increased economic returns from dairying. Knowledge has been a subject of interest to the researchers and several efforts have been conducted in different parts of the country in the past in this regard. However, these efforts are sporadic in nature. Thus, the present article is an effort to compile the studies done so far relating to knowledge of dairy farmers and farm women and draw certain meaningful conclusions. This effort could be of great utility to

2 the extension managers, policy planners and all those involved in dairy development to devise suitable dairy development activities and also in proper targeting of these activities. Knowledge of dairy farmers and farm women related to improved dairy farming practices Several research workers have made attempts to assess the knowledge of dairy farmers and farm - women related to improved dairy farming practicesin different parts of the country. These studies have examined knowledge in different perspectives. Sharma and Sharma (1970) showed that majority of the farmers possessed no idea about contagious diseases of bovines. About 60 per cent of the cattle owners were observed to have knowledge about recommended dairy production innovations as reported by Sohal and Tyagi (1978) and Singh and Verma (1979). While, Malik etal (1980) reported that only 20 percent of the sampled respondents were possessing adequate knowledge of dairy farming and 17 per cent were ill equipped with latest scientific know-how of dairying. The overall knowledge score of the respondents was found to be per cent as reported by Gite (1980), while Mahipal (1983) reported it to be slightly higher, Le., per cent. In contrary, Singh and Thomas (1992) noticed that the overall knowledge score of farmers was only 37 per cent. They further revealed that dairy farmers had maximum knowledge about crossbred animals (92%), followed by artificial insemination (82lJil). tick control (78%), vaccination (58%) and pregnancy diagnosis (49%). Respondents have also been classifiecl on the basis of overall knowledge possesse~ by them in low, medium and high level catego'" ries by several researchers. Hazarika and' Anand (1984), Kherde et al (1986), Mahipal and Kherde (1986), Nataraju and Channegowda (1986), Singh (1986), Rao Vol. 23. No.2, (1987), Verma (1988), Gautam (1989), Singh (1989), Chaubey (1991), Meena (1993), Verma (1993), Ram (1994), Meena (1997), Kumar (1998) and Show (1998) reported that male respondents possessed medium level of knowledge. High level of knowledge possessed by majority of male respondentswas observed by Kokate (1980), Sayeedi (1983), Singh (1983), Walia(1984), Rao and Kherde (1990) and Meena (1993). Saini (1980), Hazarika (1983), Kokate (1984), Singh (1984) and Ingle et al (1988) noticed low level of knowledge. On similar lines, Ratnakar and Reddy (1991) found that per cent of beneficiaries and per cent of non-beneficiaries of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), were having low knowledge in improved animal husbandry. Limited work on women dairy farmers has been carried out in the present context. Kadian (1988), Omprakash (1988), Malik (1990), Sheela (1991), Meena (1994) and Malik (1998) reported that majority of the female dairy farmers had medium level of knowledge about scientific dairy farming practices. While, Singh (1993) observed that maximum numberof female respondents were having high to medium level of knowledge. Low level of knowledge of female respondents in cattle management practices was revealed by Jamal (1989). Some research workers have made an in-depthanalysis of knowledge of respondents in improved dairy farming in all its sub-aspects, i.e., breeding, feeding, management, housing, fodder production and health care. Kapse (1976) on this line reported that cattle owners possessed very low level of knowledge about improved fodder cultivation, balance feeding, management practices, etc. Gill and Singh (1977) found that dairy farmers in Ludhiana district of Punjab had low level of knowledge in areas of animal breeding, feeding, housing and health care, but they possessed medium level of knowledge in management and marketing. Gite (1980) revealed that respondents

3 possessed good knowledge in management and breeding and low level of knowledge in feeding and health care. In contrast, Meena (1993) and Show (1998) reported that majority of the respondents had medium level of knowledge in all the five sub-aspects of dairy farming. Respondents were reported to possess highest knowledge about animal breeding and least for health care aspects of improved dairy farming (Mahipal and Kherde, 1986). Meena (1993) also revealed that respondents possessed minimum knowledge in health care and maximum in fodder production aspects. While, Nishi (1996) reported that dairy farmers had maximum knowledge in animal feeding practices and minimum knowledge in animal breeding. From Rajasthan, Meena (1997) reported that respondents had maximum extent of knowledge in feeding and minimum knowledge in health care of dairy animals. Show (1998) revealed that farmers possessed maximum extent of knowledge in the area of feeding, followed by management, while in case of fodder production, they had minimum knowledge. Sohal and Tyagi (1978) studied the knowledge level of dairy farmers operating in urban and rural, and reported that composite knowledge of farmers regarding breeding, feeding and veterinary aspects, was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Knowledge level has been found to differ in different categories of farm households. Mahipal (1983) reported that the knowledge level increases with the categories of farmers, i.e., from landless to large farmers. To support this finding, Mahipal and Kherde (1989) reported that in Operational Research Project villages of National Dairy Research Institute, Kamal, the extent of knowledge of large farmers was found to be higher, i.e., per cent as compared to per cent of the medium farmers. Khatik (1994) also reported a significant difference in knowledge of small, Vol. 23, No.2, medium and large dairy farmers. In contrast to the above studies, Thakor and Patel (1998). reported that majority of the farm women in all the categories of households, i.e., agriculturallabourers, small. medium and large farm holding categories, possessed medium level of knowledge about improved animal husbandry practices. While analysing the knowledge level of male and female respondents related to improved dairy farming practices, Promila (1994) and Sah (1999) reported that majority of both, male and female respondents possessed medium level of knowledge. However, the knowledge level of male was found significantly higher than that of female respondents. CONCLUSIONS Following conclusions could bedrawn from the above review: 1) Majority of the researches conducted in different parts of the country observed that respondents had medium/average knowledge level with regard to improved/ recommended dairy farming practices. Only a few researchers reported possession of high or low Knowledge level among respondents. 2) Only a few researches have been conducted to study the knowledge level of women dairy farmers. However, the available literature reported medium level of knowledge about the recommended dairy farming practices among women dairy farmers. 3) With regard to sub areas of dairy farming viz., feeding, breeding, health care and general management, the researchers seemed to vary in their observation. However, health care and breeding were the subareas in which majority of the researchers reported low knowledge level among respondents while knowledge related to animal feeding was found to high among respondents.

4 Vol. 23, No.2, ) Knowledge level among dairy farmer~ mended that farm women should be was found to vary in different categories given due share in designing of future of farm household i.e" landless to large researr:1ers in the field of dairy farming. farmers. 3) Proper health care and breeding of dairy 5) On comparative analysis dairy farmers animals are among important factors and farm women belonging to similar determining the success of dairy enterhouseholds were both reported to pos- prise, therefore efforts should be made sess medium level of knowledge regard- to enhance the awareness level of dairy ing improved dairy farming practices. farmers an farm women of the country However, knowledge level in quantitative in these sub areas of improved dairy terms differed significantly and was found farming through appropriate programmes. in favour of dairy farmers. 4) The difference in knowledge level about RECOMMENDATIONS improved dairy farming practices among 1) Knowledge is a prerequisite for adoption dairy farmers belonging to different farm of improved dairy farming practices. categories was found favouring large Therefore for enhancing the adoption farmers. Therefore it is recommended level of improved dairy farming practices that future extension activities/ as well as the production, productivity programmes should include farmers and of dairy animals in the country, suit- farm women from all the categories for able programme for enhancing the equitable development of dairy farming knowledge level of among the dairy farm- in the India. ers as well as farm women need to be 5) Farm women were observed to possess implemented. lower knowledge their male counterparts 2) Dairying is a household enterprise in about improved dairy farming. This could India and therefore it is usually consid- be attributed to the low access of farm ered to a great extent as a mainly the women to extension services rendered responsibility of women of the house- by various government and non-governhold. Despite this important role farm' ment agencies therefore appropriate women play in dairying, a few researches measures should be taken to help farm have been conducted to study their women get benefited by these services. knowledge level. Therefore it is recom- REFERENCES Chaubey, K.N. (1991). Ph.D, Thesis, NDRI (Deemed Univer$ity), Kamal, India. Dairy India. (1997). Dairy India Yearbook. Fifth edition, Ed. P.R. Gupta, New Delhi, pp.1o-33. De, H.K. (1994). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Gautam, U.S. (1989). Ph.D, Thesis, NDRI(DeemedUniversit\J), Kamal, India. Gill, 5.5. and Singh, P. (1977). Indian J. Extn. Edn., 13(3& Gite, N.R. (1980). M.5c. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kur~hetra, India.. Gurnani, M., Singh, A. and Gandhi, R.S. (1996). In; Semimt on Economic Independence in Dairying, Veterinary College, Bikaner (Rajasthan).. Hazarika, P. (1983). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kutukshetra, India. Hazarika, P. and Anand, U. (1984). Dairy Guide, 6(5): 46-5::> / Ingle, P.O. et al. (1988). Maha. J. Extn. Edn., 7: Jamal, S. (1989). Ph.D. Thesis, IVRI, Izatnagar, India. Kadian, K.S. (1988). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kl\rukshetra, India. Kapse, 5.5. (1976). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, KurtJkshetra, India, Khatik, G.L. (1994). Ph.D. Thesis. NOR! (Deemed University), Kamal, India.

5 Vol. 23. No Kherde, RL. eta/. (1986).lndianJ. Extn. Edn., 22(3&4): Kokate, KD. (1980). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Kokate, KD. (1984). Ph.D. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Kumar, A (1998). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Mahipal and Kherde, RL. (1986). In: National Seminaron Extension Education and Human Resource Development, A.P.A.U" Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India. Malik, B.S. (1997). Farm women: Their roles and training needs. Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi, India. Mahipal and Kherde, R.L. (1989). Maha. J Exln. Edn.. 8: Malik, B.S. (1990). Ph.D. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Malik, B.S. et a/. (1980). Dairy Guide, 2(6): Meena, B.L. (1994). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Meena, B.S. (1993). M.Sc. Thesis, NDR1 (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Meena, M.S. (1997). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Nataraju, M.S. and Channegowda, M.B. (1986). Indian J. Extn. Edn., 12(1&2): Nishi. (1996). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Gmparkash (1988). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Parada, R.S. (1999), Third Convocational Address, 24 April, 1999, NDR!, Kamal. Promila (1994). Ph.D, Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India.. Ram, H. (1994). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Rao, B.S. (1987). Ph.D. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India., Rao. B.S. and Kherde. RL. (1990). Asian J. Dairy Res., 9: Ratnakar, R and Reddy. M.S. (1991). Indian J. Extn. Edn., 27(3&4): Sah, Uma (1999). Ph.D. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Singh, B.K. (1983). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India Sah, A.K. (1996). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Saini, S.P.S. (1980). Ph.D. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Sayeedi, AG. (1983). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Sharma, RK and Sharma, J.C. (1970). IndianJ. Extn. Edn., 6(3&4): 20. Sheela,B. (1991). M.Sc. Thesis, UAS, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.. Show, S. (1998). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Karnal, India. Singh, V. (1984). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Singh, B.R (1986). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Singh, S. (1989). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Singh, A (1993). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Singh, L. and Thomas, C.K. (1992). Indian Dairyman, 44(9): Singh, S.N. and Verma, A.K. (1979). IndianJ. Extn. Edn.. 15(1&2): Sinha, V.K(1997). M.Sc. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Sohal, T.S. and Tyagi, KC. (1978). Indian J. Extn. Edn.. 14(3&4): Suresh, S.v. et al. (1995). J. Extn. Edn., 6(2): Thakor, RF. and PateL KF. (1998). Rurallnelia, 62-63(3&4): Verma, G.P. (1988). M.Sc. Thesis, NDR! (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Verma, G.P. (1993). Ph.D. Thesis, NDRI (Deemed University), Kamal, India. Walia, AS. (1984). M.Sc. Thesis, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. 144