Prioritization of extension interventions for empowering resource poor dairy farm householdsin Haryana State

Determination of extension interventions

Abstract

Dairy farming is practised mainly by resource poor farmers whose limited access to knowledge, skill, training and credit hamper their socio-economic and technological empowerment. Extension interventions would help these farmers to enhance their access to knowledge and technologies leading to better standard of living. Therefore, the present study was undertaken in three districts of Haryana state namely Karnal, Jind and Jhajjar representing three different Agro climatic zones in Haryana in 2022 to understand their existing level of knowledge, adoption and needs in dairy farming. The study constituted a sample size of 120 respondents by selecting 40 respondents in a cluster of villages with the predominance of resource poor dairy households in each of selected districts. The findings revealed that most of the respondents were middle aged (44.17%), male (81.67%), acquired secondary level of education (26.67%), land holding upto 1 acre (35.83%), belonged to medium level of income group and had joint family (58.33%). Extension interventions were prioritised as per the expert opinion by using Analytical Hierarchy Process methodology which indicated that training has acquired the highest rank with a value of 0.35 followed by demonstration with value of 0.34. Among policy interventions, subsidy has acquired the highest rank with a value of 0.37 and then incentive acquired 2^nd rank with value of 0.25. The study suggests the importance of intensive training, demonstration and exposure visit to research institution and progressive farmers for gradually empowering the resources poor farmers.