Prospects and constraints of commercial cutflower production in Thiruvananthapuram district

Abstract

The present study under the title "Prospects and constraints of cutflower production in Thiruvananthapuram district" was undertaken with the following objectives. 1. To delineate the components of conceptual skill and to measure the conceptual skill of growers. 2. To study the relationship of personal, socio-situational and economic factors with the conceptual skill of growers. 3. To study the production practices of cutflowers followed by the growers. 4. To identify the different marketing channels existing in cutflower marketing in consultation with the growers. 5. To identify the constraints related to cutflower production and marketing as perceived by growers. The study was conducted among the respondents of five cutflower societies functioning in Thiruvananthapuram district. A sample of 100 growers were selected from the societies by adopting stratified random sampling technique with proportionate sampling procedure. Data was collected with the help of well structured, pre tested interview schedule and suitable statistical tests were employed in the analysis of data. In the study conceptual skill has been considered as dependent variable. The factors such as planning, risk-orientation, decision-taking ability, supervision and market perception were the major dimensions of conceptual skill. The selected personal, socio-situational and economic factors of cutflower growers were taken as independent variables which included education, cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cut flowers, self confidence, orientation towards competition, orientation towards skill development in farm workers, information seeking behaviour (personal), operational area, infra structural facilities, extension participation, social participation, mass media exposure (socio-situational), annual income and credit orientation (economic). Relationship of the personal, socio-situational and economic factors with the conceptual skill showed that in the case of Group I, none of the variables correlated with conceptual skill. In the case of Group 11 attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cutflowers were positively and significantly correlated while mass media exposure was negatively and significantly correlated with conceptual skill. In the case of Group Ill, variables like cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cut flowers, orientation towards skill development and information seeking behaviour were correlated positively and significantly with conceptual skill. In the case of Group V a positive and significant relationship exists between conceptual skill and cutflower growing experience and orientation towards skill development in farm workers. In the case of Gr. V, a positive and significant relationship exists between conceptual skill and variables like cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cutflowers, self confidence, orientation towards skill development ill farm workers, information seeking behaviour and operational area. None of the socio-situational factors related significantly with conceptual skill of the respondents of Group I, Group 11, Group III and Group IV except for mass media exposure which was negatively and significantly correlated with conceptual skill of respondents of Group 11. None of the economic factors correlated with conceptual skill of the respondents of Group I, Group 11, Group Ill, Group IV and Group V. Regarding the production practices followed by anthurium growers, majority of growers have ordinary varieties. Majority of the growers follow pot planting using potting media containing sawdust, charcoal, brick and tile pieces, coconut husk and leaf-mould. Orchid growers have the collection of both monopodial and sympodial orchids and majority of the growers plant monopodial orchids in coconut husk alone and sympodial orchids in charcoal pieces alone. Regarding organic manure application, majority of the growers use diluted solution of fermented groundnut and neemcake in both the case of anthuriums and orchids. Majority of the growers apply 17: 17: 1 7 complex fertilizer solutions to both anthuriums and orchids. Majority of the growers apply organic manure and fertilisers once in a fortnight. Majority of the growers apply fungicides and pesticides once in a week regularly. Thus an indiscriminate use of fertilisers and plant protection chemicals was noticed in the study. Majority of the growers harvest flowers whenever there is demand. Flowers are cut during early mornings and late evenings. In the study various marketing channel ha been identified. in which the most important marketing channel of cutflowers identified was 'producer - collection centre - florishop- consumer'. Various production, technological and marketing constraints has been identified in the study. The important constraints perceived by the growers were 'high price of planting materials' (production), 'no standardised practices to follow' (technological) and 'inability of small growers to find market (marketing).