Farmers' perceived constraints to Extension & Advisory Services (EAS): A garret ranking analysis

Introduction

In India, Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) are essential for improving agricultural sustainability and productivity (Sahu et al. 2024) [2] . These services enhance farming methods by facilitating technology and knowledge flow from research institutions to farmers. Farmers now have unparallel access to information and professional assistance owing to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) (Bhat et al. 2024) [3] . EAS has been instrumental in empowering smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, by enhancing their skills and knowledge (Anil et al. 2024) [3] . Farmers in India face several constraints when accessing agricultural extension services, significantly impacting their productivity and economic stability. These challenges stem from socioeconomic disparities, inadequate information dissemination, and systemic inefficiencies in extension services. Farmers often experience delays or shortages in essential agricultural inputs, which hampers timely agricultural practices (Pant & Singh, 2014) [4] . Extension personnel frequently lack sufficient training and resources, which affects their ability to deliver effective services (Baig & Aldosari, 2013) [5] . Farmers face constraints such as inadequate funding, lack of administrative flexibility, insufficient human resources, and ineffective coordination among stakeholders in accessing extension services in India (Meena et al. 2013) [6] . Significant constraints include inadequate training materials, poor management of rewards, limited human resources, inconsistent government programme, and ineffective evaluation of extension services; impacting farmers' access to support (Azani & Onwubuya, 2013) [7] .

Methodology

Three Districts of West Bengal were selected purposely based on Cropping Intensity. For Higher Cropping Intensity, Nadia (>Mean+ SD) district; Medium Level of Cropping Intensity, Birbhum (Mean+ SD to Mean -SD); and low Cropping Intensity, Jalpaiguri (<Mean-SD) were selected. From each district, Four EAS Providers namely, Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), a Farmer Producer Company (FPC), and an Input Dealer were selected. From each EAS Provider, 20 beneficiary farmers were selected, totalling 80 farmers from each district and 240 total farmers. Three different types of constraints: Economic Constraint, Technological Constraint, and Socio-Psychological Constraints were considered in this study. Under the Economic Constraint, five statements; Technological Constraints, eleven statements; and Socio-Psychological Constraints, seven statements were considered after the literature review. As per this method, respondents were asked about their opinions to assign the rank for all factors, and the outcomes of such ranking were converted into score value with the help of the following formula:

Per cent position = 100(𝑅𝑖𝑗 -0.5) / 𝑁𝑗 Where 𝑅𝑖𝑗 = Rank has been given for the ith statement by www.extensionjournal.com the jth respondent.

𝑁𝑗 = Number of ith statements ranked by the jth respondent

The per cent position is converted into scores by referring to the table given by Garrett and Woodworth (1969) [8] . Then, for each constraints, the scores for all the respondents were added, and then the total and mean values of the scores were calculated. These mean scores for all the constraints were arranged in descending order, and the most influencing factors were identified by assigning ranks. The factors with the highest mean value were considered the most important.

Results and Discussion

Economic Constraints

While availing of Extension Advisory services, the respondents faced different constraints. Five different Economic Constraints are labeled in Table 1. Low profit from the sale of Agricultural produce EC 5

Inadequate financial support under govt schemes

Table 2 shows different ranks as perceived by the respondents against each constraint and Table 3 shows the percent position of each rank and their respective garret score. In Table 4, each rank is given its mean Garret score, and thus total mean Garret score for each constraint achieved. 1. No Regular visits by personnel

Table 7 shows different ranks as perceived by the respondents against each constraint. And Table 8 shows the percent position of each rank and their respective garret score Prefer to continue with traditional practices.

SPC 5

Poor Level of connectivity lead to less interaction with officials SPC 6

Political hindrances in getting scheme benefit SPC 7 Favoritism in service delivery.

Table 12 shows different ranks as perceived by the respondents against each constraint. And Table 13 shows the percent position of each rank and their respective garret score. In Table 14, each rank is given its mean garret score and total mean Garret score for each constraint achieved. Finally, Table 15 shows, based on the total garret score, 'Political hindrances in getting scheme benefit' ranked top with a garret score of 59.53. 'Favoritism in service delivery.' Ranked 2 nd with 59.52, and 'Lack of understanding of the benefit of seeking help from Agri Service Provider' ranked 3rd with a 50.95 score. The Socio-Psychological Constraints, as perceived by the respondents, are shown in Figure 3.

Conclusion

From the above study it is evident that farmers face lot of difficulties while availing Extension Advisory Services. Lack of Marketing Information is one of the main concerns, Market-led Extension is the need of the hour. While the high cost of inputs is restricting farmers from adopting recommendations, private extension by input dealers can play a crucial role. Line departments must play an uplifting role in providing services like crop insurance. Training of extension professionals for updating knowledge must be carried out by Institutes like SAMETI and MANAGE. However, complexity in terms of advisory and government schemes leads to inefficiency, future course of action should be breaking the complex idea into a digestible format. Moreover, these constraints need to be addressed by pluralistic extension advisory providers to ensure no stones get unturned.

References

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3. Bhat PP, Prasad R, Anil K, Jadhav A, Manohar KN, Rajesh CM. The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension Programs Worldwide: A Review. J Sci Res Rep. 2024 Jul 11;30(7):963-76.
4. Pant K, Singh U. Need for revamped extension approaches to overcome the constraints in transfer of technologies. Indian Res J Ext Educ. 2014;14(1):10911.
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