Factors influencing the development of agriculture among the 'kanikkar' tribe of Kerala

Abstract

The study on the factors influencing the development of agiculture among the 'Kanikkar' tribe of Kerala was carried out with the following objectives: To study the characteristic profile of the tribal people. To identify the agricultural development indicators in tribal areas. To assess the extent of agricultural development in tribal areas. To find out the association between the agricultural development indicators and the selected socio-economic characteristics of 'Kanikkars'. To identify the factors influencing agricultural development in tribal areas. To identify the constraints affecting agricultural development in tribal areas. Kanikkars form the dominant tribe of South Kerala. A sample of 100 Kani-farmers was selected from the five Panchayats of Nedumangad Taluk of Thiruvananthapuram District using purposive, proportional and random allocation techniques. Personal interviews were conducted with the help of a well structured and pre-tested interview schedule. The data so collected were analysed with the help of suitable statistical techniques. The extent of agricultural development was assessed using the three agricultural development indicators selected for the purpose of the study/ which were the dependent variables namely knowledge about improved cultivation practices/ attitude towards farming/ and adoption of modern techniques of cultivation. The independent variables selected and utilised for the purpose of the study were age/education/ farming experience/ organisation participation/ risk orientation/ credit orientation/ cosmopoliteness/ extension participation/ extension contact/ mass media participation and land possession. The salient findings of the study are as follows: Nearly half of the respondents (49%) were young. Majority of them had high levels of education/ risk orientation/ credit orientation/ cosmopliteness and mass media participation/ while most of them had low lev^s of farming experience/ organisation participation, extension participation/ extension contact and land possession. Though majority of the Kanikkars hod o better knowledge on the scientific cultivation practices and a favourable attitude towards farming, the adoption level of ^ modern techniques of cultivation was low. Of the 11 variables studied, land possession was found to have a non-significant correlation with the three dependent variables. Credit orientation was found to have a significant correlation only with attitude. Of the variables which were having a significant correlation with the three dependent variables, age and farming experience were negatively correlated. The crucial variables through which indirect effects were channelled were: education, risk orientation and extension participation with regard to knowledge about improved cultivation practices, education, cosmopoliteness and mass media participation with respect to attitude towards farming and age, farming experience and extension contact with reference to adoption of modern techniques of cultivation.