Techno-socio-economic consequences of national watershed development project for rainfed areas in Thiruvananthapuram district

Abstract

The study entitled "Techno-socio-economic consequences of NWDPRA in Thiruvananthapuram district" was undertaken tc assess the techno-socio-economic consequences on beneficiaries due to the implementation of NWDPRA. An attempt was also made to identify the constraints perceived by the farmers and extension agents. The study was conducted in the four watersheds, one from each t a l u k of Thiruvananthapuram district which was selected randomly. A sample of hundred beneficiaries was selected according to the probability proportional to size of the beneficiaries in the selected watershed areas. Data were collected through well structured and pretested i n t e r v i e v schedule. The study revealed the following: Majority of the farmers had small land holdings. Most of the farmers received only medium level of technical guidance. The percept ions of the major i t y of respondents about the availability of low cost watershed technologies, observability of the innovation and complexity of the innovation were medium.

About three-fourths of the farmers had a favourable attitude towards watershed development programmes. Most of the farmers had medium level of extension participation, mass media exposure and economic motivation. More than half of the respondents did not attend any training programme related to watershed management. More than half of the respondents had only medium I eve 1 0 f k now led g e i n wa t e r s he d p 1 ann i n g , i nn 0 vat i v e n e ss, indebtedness and orientation towards incentives. Majority of the farmers followed medium level of cropping intensity. The adoption of the watershed management practices by the farmers was only at medium level. Social status of the farmers was on average level. The perception of the farmers about the employment generated was low and the perception about the increase in resource use efficiency was medium. About half of the respondents were of the perception that the increase in income and productivity was low on account of NWDPRA. Farm size, availability of low cost watershed technologies, observabiiity of the innovation, attitude towards

watershed development programmes, extension participation, mass media exposure, training participation, knowledge in w~tershed planning and cropping intensity had positive and significant association with adoption of watershed management practices. Complexity of innovation and indebtedness had negative association with adoption. Social status of farmers had positive association with farm size, technical guidarice, availability of low cost watershed technologies, observabi 1 i t y of innovat ion, at t i tude towards watershed development programmes, extension participation, training participation, knowledge in watershed planning, innovativeness and orientation towards incentives. Indebtedness had negative association with social status of farmers. Employment generation had positive and significant relationship with indebtedness and orientation towards incentives. Farm size, technical guidance, availability of low cost watershed technologies, observability of the innovation, attitude towards watershed development programmes, extension participation, training participation and knowledge in watershed planning had positive and significant relationship with increase in resource use efficiency.

The variables farm size, availability of low cost watershed technologies, observability of the innovation, attitude towards watershed development programmes, extension participation, mass media exposure, economic motivation, knowledge in watershed planning, innovativeness and cropping intensity were found to have positive and significant relationship with increase in income. Indebtedness had a negative relationship with increase in income. Increase in productivity had a positive and significant relationship with farm size, availability of low cost watershed technologies, observability of innovation, at tit ude towards watershed deve lopment programmes, ex ens ion participation, mass media exposure, training p a r t i c i pa t i on , knowledge in watershed planning and cropping intensity. Indebtedness had a negative relationship with increase in productivity. ~ Stepwise regression analysis revealed that availa bility of low cost watershed technologies and farm size contributed to 76 per cent of variation in adoption of watershed management practices. The results of s t e pw i s e regression analysis revealed that the variables farm size, mass media exposure, orientation towards incentives, technical guidance, observability of innovation, innovativeness and attitude towards watershed

development programmes contributed to 54 per cent of variation in social status of farmers. The important constraint perceived by the farmers was inadequacy of funds provided to land owners in NWDPRA and the important constraint perceived by the extension agent was inadequate co-ordination among the implementing agencies of NWDPRA. The results of Spearman's rank order correlation of constraints revealed that there was agreement between farmers and extension agents with respect to the constraints in NWDPRA.