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A STUDY ON EMERGING FARMERS NEED IN BtI & BtII POST 2007

KrishiKosh

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Title A STUDY ON EMERGING FARMERS NEED IN BtI & BtII POST 2007
 
Creator NAGESH BABU, N
 
Contributor SEEMA
 
Subject STUDY, EMERGING, FARMERS, NEED, BtI, BtII, POST
 
Description In this era of growing consumerism, there is always a tendency to
choose newer and newer brands of products be it computer, mobile
phone, car, home theatre or washing machine. The companies sense
the needs of different classes of customers, and accordingly design
their brands and change their strategies. Farmers as consumers of
seeds and pesticides are no exception. They keep on trying different
varieties of seeds, pesticides and technologies that come into the
market.
Cotton, which is the world’s oldest commercial crop and is one of
the most important fibre crops in the global textile industry, is no
exception to this phenomenon. In our country an estimated 9 million
hectares is under Cotton cultivation with the production of 242.5 lakh
bales in the year 2005-2006 season and a productivity of 321 kg/ha.
Cotton crop gained importance in agribusiness because India’s Cotton
farmers spend about $350 millions or Rs.1575 crores annually on
pesticides and about Rs.208 crores on seed. In trade India has
exported about 25 lakh bales and has imported 6 lakh bales in 2005-06.
According to a study conducted by Govt. of India, the adoption of
insect-resistant Cotton (Bt) has increased farm income from Cotton by
Rs. 558 crores. On the other side Cotton farming is driving farmers to
suicides. According to Agricultural ministry estimates, close to 9000
farmers have killed themselves in Maharastra, Punjab, Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala from 2002-06. At this juncture a study
on emerging farmers need in this scenario was made and this report is
a consolidated and condensed account of the research done over the
three districts of Andhra Pradesh, and provides an objective analysis of
the emerging needs of the Cotton farmer in the study area.
Following objectives were taken up for the study:
1. To know the reasons for the gap in productivity.
2. To find out the need gaps in insecticides and fungicides usage.
3. To find out the potential benefits and feasibility of using herbicides.
4. To study alterations of plant structure which effects the production.
5. To find out the sectors, which are more beneficial for organization
post 2007.
The methodology over the three districts of the study viz.
Khammam, Nalgoda, Nizamabad was broadly the same, and the focus
of the study is more specifically on the experiences of small farmers.
The total sample size was 150, from 48 randomly selected villages and
convenience sampling has been adopted to select the respondents.
Descriptive research design was adopted for study and the research
approach followed for the collection of primary data was the survey
method using the pre-tested questionnaire. Data analysis of the most of
the parameters was done by tabular and comparative analysis by
computing the simple means, averages and percentages.
From the analysis the findings are as follows:
The hybrids in which the Mahyco Company incorporated Bt
gene were not agronomically superior which is the main reason for low
production during the initial years though technology successfully
controlled the bollworm pest. Farmers growing Cotton as a
remunerative crop without considering the factors, whether they are
growing on the Suitable soils or not is the other reason for low
productivity.
With the advent of Bt Cotton the sucking pest complex infestation
increased to enormous levels, in future it may become a major problem
for Cotton farmers. In many of the instances Bt Cotton was found highly
susceptible for Wilt and Rhizoctinia root rot.
Most of the Cotton grown in the areas under study is of 26-28 mm
staple length and fetches mediocre prices around Rs.1600 per quintal
but Cotton with staple length upwards of 30 mm can fetch more than
Rs.3000 a quintal. Barely 4-4.5 lakh bales of the 243-lakh bales
produced in the country last year is of the long staple variety.
Indiscriminate use of pesticides is putting the farmer in difficult
situation. For achieving reduced reliance on, use of and risk from
chemical pesticides 'whole farm' approach to pest management, has to
be adopted which simply cannot be provided by substituting a genealtered
plant. The path to reduced reliance on pesticides has to be
paved with training farmers in different farm management practices,
spraying techniques, Integrated Pest Management practices etc.
Most of the farmers are unaware of herbicides availability and its
usage in Cotton, even if they know; there are uncertainties about how
fast this substitution will happen and in which markets it will happen.
This will hinge largely on farmer economics. In future the herbicides will
continue to play an important role in Integrated Weed Management
systems. Chemicals, which are environmentally safer and more
selective and applied in less dosage, are more preferred as they fit well
into Integrated Weed Management Programs, on the other side farm
mechanization in India may force Cotton farmer to go for complete
mechanical harvest for that induced defoliation will become a necessary
event; chemical companies have to keep an eye on this.
 
Date 2016-08-16T13:53:21Z
2016-08-16T13:53:21Z
2006
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/72575
 
Language en
 
Relation D7824;
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD