Risk management behaviour of banana growers

Abstract

The study was undertaken in selected give panchayaths of Thrissur district, to analyse the extent of risk management behavior of banana growers in relation to their attitude and perception about risk in banana cultivation. The respondents selected for the study included both summer banana cultivators (n=120) and Kazhchakula cultivators (n=30).

The study revealed that majority of summer banana cultivators as well as Kazhchakula cultivators belonged to medium category in their distribution based on attitude towards risk in banana cultivation and perception about risk in banana cultivation. In the case of summer banana, majority of the farmers were found to adopt the adjustment of planting time while all the Kazhchakula cultivators had adapted the recommended irrigation schedule. It was found that the summer banana cultivators had resorted to individual decision making mostly in the case of inter cultural operations while group decision making was observed in the case of flood control measures and heavy rain control measures and for utilizing transport facilities about half of the farmers were taken joint decisions. However almost all practices adopted by the farmers for cultivation of Kazhchakula were based on individual decisions.

Among the selected independent variables prior exposure to risk, farm size, vocational diversification and irrigation potential were found significant in predicting the maximum variation in attitude towards risk in farming. While, family labour, irrigation potential, vocational diversification, self reliance, experience in banana cultivation, annual income and farm size were important in predicting attitude towards risk in banana cultivation. Irrigation potential, credit orientation as well as self reliance were found significant in predicting the perception about risk in banana cultivation.

The highest direct and indirect effect on attitude towards risk in farming was due to irrigation potential and man media exposure. Vocational diversification and experience in banana cultivation had the maximum direct and indirect effects on attitude towards risk in banana cultivation when perception about risk in banana cultivation was analysed, vocational diversification, prior exposure to risk and age had the highest direct and indirect effects.