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Vol XII No. 2, July - December, 2011
1.
Tele-Agri-Advisory Services for Farmers: a Case Study of Kisan Call
Centre in Andhra Pradesh,
M. Srinivasa
Rao and V.P. Sharma
Abstract
Access to information and improved communication is a crucial
requirement
for
sustainable agricultural development. Information and Communication
Technologies,
can play a vital role by establishing a network among the
researchers,
extension personnel, and farmers for transfer of information.
This paper
examines Tele Agri Advisory services to farmers through Kisan
Call Centre in
Andhra Pradesh. The paper looks at call trends, level of
farmers'
satisfaction and implementation of solutions / recommendations
offered by the
Kisan Call Center, effectiveness of capacity building
programmes,
identifies issues, constraints and problems at various levels
and gives
suggestions for improvement.
2. Managerial Abilities of Women Headed Households,
K.Uma Rani and G.Bhaskar
Abstract
This study attempts to understand the profile of women headed
households
and the
relationship between personal variables and managerial abilities
of farm women.
A sample of 270 women headed households were drawn
for the study
covering Telangana, Rayalseema and Coastal region of Andhra
Pradesh. The
study reveals that education, self confidence and participation
of women in
SHGs and extension activities have significant positive relation
with
managerial efficiency. The study recommends that women headed
households
should be given priority in extension activities of ongoing
schemes for
providing them opportunities to sharpen their managerial skills.
Special
management modules could be developed for training these women
which will
enhance their self confidence and managerial abilities and help
them become
more productive. Extension programmes with a combination
of rational
and creative approach to problem solving and decision making
will have
potential for providing a conceptual framework, upon which the
programmes can
be based, for developing the managerial efficiency of these
women headed
households, say the authors.
3. Common Service Center: A Tool for Empowerment of
Rural Farming
Community in
India,
V. Madhava Rao, R.R.
Hermon, Rajashree Padhi and P. Anuradha
Abstract
The post liberalisation phase brought reforms in the agriculture
sector
and various
factors impacting high growth, including emphasis on quality
research,
increased use of Information Technology and expansion of
agriculture
extension education. Consequently, technology penetration has
not only
widened the scope of agriculture, but brought government's
attention to
higher production vis-a- vis empowerment of rural farmers
while
providing agricultural information at their door step. Effective
systems
have been
developed followed by major interventions like Green Revolution
of the late
1960's and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
in the late
1990's. ICTs are not only perceived as a tool for high-end
research and
development but rather the new technologies and initiatives
which have
made significant improvements in the life-styles and the
efficiency-levels of the farming community. To understand the impact
of
ICTs on the
farming community, the role of Common Service Center (CSC)
is discussed
in the present article as one of the major means of dissemination
of information
to rural farmers.
4. Opinion and Preferences of Farmers regarding the
services of Private
Extension
Service Providers,
Itigi Prabhakar and M. A.
Ansari
Abstract
Due to systemic, financial and manpower constraints, the public
extension
system has
been rendered ineffective, inadequate and insensitive to the needs
and demands of
farmers. Consequently, a number of private agencies have
emerged
providing agri-input and advisory services. Tarai region of
Uttarakhand,
known as the food bowl of the state, has also seen the
emergence of
such agencies. The present study was undertaken in Udham Singh
Nagar district of Uttarakhand with the
objective of
finding out the opinion and preferences of farmers regarding
the services
of PESPs. A sample size of sixty farmers was selected based on
simple random
sampling technique from the list of clientele farmers of these
agencies. Data
was collected through structured interview schedule.
The findings reveal that farmers were not completely dependent on
PESPs
for
information and services. This implies that the public extension
system
is still
perceived to be a reliable source of information and services.
However, PESPs
can play a complementary role in supplementing public
extension
system but cannot substitute it completely. With respect to
limitations,
majority of the respondents reported 'High cost of service as a
major problem
with PESPs followed by 'Lack of assurance in quality of
service/
information'. It was also found that 'Farm and Home visit' was
the most
widely used extension method by PESPs. Regarding preferences
for various
extension methods it varied from farmer to farmer based on
their needs,
desire and urgency.
5. Knowledge and Benefits availed by Members of Self
Help Groups,
Waghmare V.V. and R.P.
Kadam
Abstract
The Self Help Group acts as a strong cohesive force for bringing
about
socio-economic
development of weaker sections of the community. This
paper studies
the personal and socio-economic characteristics of beneficiary
women of
Self-Help Groups; knowledge level of beneficiary women about
activities of
Self-Help Groups and benefits availed by women members.
6. Factors affecting Agrarian Distress Proneness in
Western Vidarbha,
N.M.Kale, P.P.Wankhade,
and Gopal Jadhao
Abstract
The present
investigation was undertaken in 2008-09 to assess the factors
affecting
agrarian distress in districts of Western Vidarbha. A sample of
150 small and
marginal farmers was selected for the study.The study
revealed that,
a majority (79.35%) of the respondents were under severe
agrarian
distress due to effect of weather and yield uncertainties,
nonremunerative
prices, rise
in cost of inputs, lack of irrigation facilities, limited
availability
of credit, rise in indebtedness, supplier induced demand in the
market and
increasing dependency on others in the farming business. Policy
makers need to
take care of these triggers/factors for reducing present
agrarian
distress in selected districts of Western Vidarbha region of
Maharashtra.
7. Applications of Social Network Analysis in Human
Resource Development, R.Venkattakumar and P.Manikandan
Abstract
Social network
analysis (SNA) is a technique that focuses on identifying
and comparing
relationships within and between individuals, groups and
systems in
order to model the real world interactions at the heart of
organizational
knowledge and learning processes. SNA promises to add
significantly
to theory building in the field of Human Resource Development
(HRD) by
providing a methodological approach for improving empirical
rigor of
conducting research in organizational development, organizational
learning,
leadership development, training and development. Thus, SNA
can play an
important role in moving HRD forward. An attempt has been
made here to
project SNA as a methodology to approach, deal, analyze,
plan issues
related to HRD. Since HRD forms a vital component of extension
management,
SNA methodology gains strategic significance.
8. Economic issues in silk cocoon production: a study
at farm household
level in
Southern India,
S. Lakshmanan
Abstract
A study was conducted to examine the cost and returns in silk cocoon
production at
the farm household level in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and
Andhra
Pradesh. The field investigation revealed that the per annum cost
of cocoon
production per acre worked out to Rs. 71635.83 in Karnataka,
Rs. 67638.44
in Tamil Nadu and Rs. 49011.07 in Andhra Pradesh. The net
return per
acre/year was the highest in Tamil Nadu followed by Karnataka
and Andhra
Pradesh. Suitable extension strategies need to be evolved in
view of the
increasing cost of cocoon production. Extension workers have
to motivate
the farmers in adoption of novel technologies in sericulture to
increase both
productivity and quality of cocoon production.
9. Impact of
Chawki Rearing on Cocoon Yield, Price and Total Returns at
Farmer Level,
M.T. Himantharaj, A.
Umesha,Jaishankar and S.M.H. Qadri
Abstract
Chawki rearing is a vital aspect of the sericulture industry. Though
the
concept of
chawki is well understood in India, its contribution is hardly 10
per cent of
the total rearing. This paper studies the impact of chawki rearing
on cocoon
yield, price and returns at the farmers' level in Chitradurga
district of
Karnataka. The results reveal that average cocoon yield/100
Dfls increased
in the chawki reared batch; cocoons harvested from chawki
reared batch
fetched higher price when compared to silkworm eggs directly
distributed to
farmers; and farmers' average net gain was higher in the
chawki reared
batch.
10. Factors Associated with Knowledge of Teachers in
the Agricultural University,
K. T. Lahariya and N. R.
Koshti
Abstract
Knowledge is a
pre requisite for successful performance in teaching and
competency
development. The present research has been undertaken to
assess the
level of knowledge possessed by teachers in the Agricultural
University and
to find out the relationship between selected socio-personal
and
psychological characteristics and knowledge of the teachers. The
study
suggests that,
to improve the knowledge of teachers, need based training
must be
imparted followed by proper evaluation, availability of modern
instructional
aids with skills in handling them. Associated job factors like
achievement
motivation, job satisfaction, job preference and favourable
teaching
attitude also need increased attention.
11. Space covered, Type and Forms of Agricultural
Information in 'Lokmat, Gajanan Shankar Narkar
Abstract
Print media has an important role in disseminating agricultural
knowledge
to farmers.
This paper focuses on the coverage of agricultural information
in a leading
Newspaper from Western Maharashtra. The objectives are to
study the
space covered by agricultural information and identify the different
types and
forms of presentation of agricultural information in the Marathi
daily. It was
observed that agricultural information occupied a mere (3.22%)
space in the
newspaper while non agricultural information occupied more
space (68.66 %
). The role of print media in disseminating useful and
scientific
knowledge to farmers would continue to grow in future with the
increasing
literacy level in rural India and hence agricultural information
needs to be given more coverage.
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