MSc

The present study entitled “Performance analysis of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Swasraya Karshaka Samithis (SKSs) on farm entrepreneurship in Thiruvananthapuram district” was conducted in six blocks of Thiruvananthapuram district with the objective of analyzing the performance of the SHGs in terms of managerial efficiency and sustainability of enterprises, to study the marketing efficiency of SKSs and to compare the men and women SHGs. The role of extension functionaries in farm entrepreneurship was also studied.
Swasraya Karshaka Samithis (SKSs) under VFPCK is a group of 15-20 SHGs which facilitates trading between farmers and traders and help to improve the bargaining power of farmers. SHG can be defined as a homogenous group of 10-20 members formed to overcome poverty through self help and mutual benefit. Any enterprise related to agriculture and allied sector is farm entrepreneurship. In the present study, fifteen members were selected from the selected three men SHGs and three women SHGs involved in fruit and vegetable cultivation selected from six different blocks of Thiruvananthapuram district through simple random sampling. Thirty extension officials and thirty farmers from three SKSs were also identified. Thus a total of 150 respondents were included in the study. A well-structured interview schedule was used for data collection from the respondents. Three dependent variables and twelve independent variables were studied and analysed with the help of different statistical tools like mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, correlation, ANOVA and Spearman’s rank order correlation The men SHGs (62.23%) seems to be more sustainable than women SHGs (51.12%). Only 66.67% of the men respondents and 60% of the women respondents exhibited medium level of managerial efficiency. The study showed 60 % of men respondents and 53.34 % of women respondents exhibited medium entrepreneurial behaviour. According to 80% of the respondents, the SKSs have medium level of marketing efficiency. The men and women SHGs differed in terms of entrepreneurial behaviour social participation, goal setting behaviour and in terms of constraints faced also there was a disagreement between men and women SHGs. Extension officials have a major role in providing the input service facilities and improve the social participation of the members. The major constraints experienced by the men SHGs were lack of insurance in case of high crop damage and for women SHGs, the major constraints were non- availability of good quality seed and planting. Important suggestions were to create awareness about farm entrepreneurship incentives and provide demand driven extension delivery mechanism.
Exactly 51.11% of the men belonged to >55 years and 66.67% of the women to 35-55 years. Only 46.67 % of men respondents received an annual income between 75,000 – 1,00,000 and 51.12% of women SHG members received an annual income between 50,000 and 75,000. Market perception , self confidence, social participation, goal setting, dealing with failure, personal initiative and responsibility, use of resources, problem solving ability, assertiveness and work commitment were in medium category. From the present study, it can be concluded that men SHGs are more sustainable with more managerial efficiency and entrepreneurial behaviour when compared to women SHGs. The study also proposed suggestions for the improvement of SHGs to help any future course of action.