Profile characteristics of Farmers and their overall Perception about Effectiveness of Agriculture Input Dealers in Telangana State

Abstract

There is a shortage of sufficient field level staff and the absence of dissemination of required information about appropriate cropping pattern, inputs, cultivation practices and so on. In this context with their locational advantage and easy access, among all the private extension stakeholders the Agri. Input Dealers efficiently became the most important source of farm information to farmers. As a result, the Indian farmer continues to rely on a variety of stakeholders of agriculture development mainly the Agri. Input Dealersthan ever before. The Agri. Input Dealer has no specificity for qualification to get license from the government and in some cases have low knowledge about doses of pesticides and their method of application. In spite of having some limitations, as the Agri. Input Dealer are already part of value chain system they can’t be eliminated So, mainstreaming by legal format is to be done and training has to be provided to get better knowledge and skills to act as an extension service provider by competent institutes. This paper focused to study the profile characteristics of Farmers and their overall perception about effectiveness of Agri. Input Dealers. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study with a sample of 90 respondents covering 3 districts of Telangana. From the analysis, it was found that majority of respondents fall under medium profile characteristics.