MSc

Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy had provided training to 236
groups and about 5203 trainees, including 2910 males and 2293 females, till
2016. They attended the training for learning the operation and repair and
maintenance of the farm machineries. Each and every group of the trainees who
had undergone the training were enrolled as a society, named as AMOSC (Agro
Machinery Operation Service Center) according to the draft byelaw formulated
under 1955, 12thAct Travancore Cochin Literary Science and Charitable Trust
Registration Act.
The list of trainees of the training conducted on farm mechanization in the
central zone of Kerala viz., Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam by Agricultural
Research Station, Mannuthy was collected from Central Training Institute,
Mannuthy. Among the trainees a sample size of 60 trainees belonged to Central
Kerala were selected as respondents using simple random sampling technique.
Apart from the selected 60 respondents, 5 successful cases of respondent groups
were identified for conducting case study.
The five respondent groups selected were Food Security Army, Venoor,
Food Security Army, Palliyakkal, Food Security Army, Kodumbu, Food Security
Army, Irinjalakuda and Food Security Army, Pampakuda. The data gathered from
the respondents were scored classified and examined by utilizing simple non
parametric statistical techniques.
Based on the feedback of respondents obtained after pilot study and
discussion with the experts in Agricultural Extension, the interview schedule was
prepared and finalized. The researcher had collected data from the respondents
using the pre-tested interview schedule. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) was
conducted in both Panchayaths and Key informant interviews were done for
qualitative data collection.
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Data was analyzed using percentage analysis, Spearman Rank Order
Correlation, Henry garrett ranking method, Wilcoxon ranking method and index
method.
Salient findings of the study are presented below:
 Majority of the respondents belonged to middle age (71.66 %) followed by
old age (15 %).
 Almost equal percentage of males (48 %) and females (52 %) participated
in the training on farm mechanization conducted by Agricultural Research
Station, Mannuthy during the period of 2013-2015.
 With regard to educational status of the respondents, more than 50 per cent
of the trainees had plus two level of education followed by 23 per cent with
a high school education.
 Occupational status of the respondents revealed that 45 per cent of the
farmers had ‘Agricultural and allied activities’ as their major occupation.
Almost equal per cent of the respondents possessed their primary
occupation as ‘Agricultural labourer’.
 As far as secondary occupation was concerned majority of the respondents
worked as ‘Agricultural labourer’ consisting of 28.33 per cent followed by
‘Non agricultural labourers (10 %).
 Most of the respondents earned low income (46.67 %) for their livelihood
and led a life of hand to mouth existence.
 Among the different categories of family size, 51.67 per cent of them had 4
members followed by 5 members (28.33 %) in their family.
 Majority of the respondents owned (58.33%) less than 50 cents of land
area. Hence they could not entirely depend on farming, but they involved in
group farming activities and agricultural labour.
 Social participation of respondents showed that all the trainees became
members of Food Security Army and 13 per cent functioned as office
bearers.
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 Majority of the respondents (30 %) regularly attended meetings of service
co- operatives and 28.33 per cent of the members regularly attended
meetings in Mahila mandals.
 Based on the type of mass media and frequency of their usage, 58 per cent
of the respondents watched television regularly. Half of the respondents (50
%) listened to radio. And only 25 per cent and 3 per cent of the respondents
read regularly news papers and magazines respectively. There were no
respondents who used bulletins, books and internet regularly.
 About 90 per cent of the trainees had attended only one training on farm
mechanization. And only 11 per cent of the respondents purchased
machinery like brush cutter, garden tiller and coconut climbers on their
own after the training.
 The institutions supported the members of food security army in terms of
finance and technical guidance were Block panchayaths, Krishi Bhavans,
Service Co Operative Banks and ARS, Mannuthy.
 Besides, ARS Mannuthy provided training to the FSA, supplied uniforms
and supported for the maintenance of the machinery of the FSAs. Some of
the groups were engaged in marketing of seedlings and the seeds were
provided by ARS, Mannuthy.
 Considering motivational factors, the level of achievement motivation of
the trainees and level of confidence was medium among majority of the
respondents.
 Majority of the respondents (40 %) adopted the innovations after seeing
others trying it out successfully.
 The degree of scientific orientation and extent of risk orientation was
medium among the trainees. Regarding the utilization of credit, most of the
trainees (above 90%) did not utilize it from institutional or non-institutional
credit sources. The increase in indebtedness of the trainees after attending
the training might be because of availing loan for meeting their personal
and family needs as their income from farm mechanization was meagre and
forced them to subsistence level of living.
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 Majority of the trainees (88 %) agreed that they learned repairing farm
machineries after training. With regard to back home utility after attending
the training on farm mechanization, majority of the respondents were under
medium category.
 The parameters studied for assessing back home utility revealed that the
training created a positive impact among the trainees.
 SWOC analysis explained the major strength of the training on farm
mechanization was field level hands on training with an index value of
96.33 and weakness of the training was less duration of training with an
index value 71.37. The major opportunity perceived by the trainees of farm
mechanization was ‘opening avenue for group farming’, which secured an
index of 95.53 and the major challenge was repair and maintenance of
machines with an index value of 86.67.
 Most important constraint faced by the trainees was non feasibility of the
farm machinery in all the regions with an average score of 63.60.