Fish farming to enhance their socio-economic condition and farmers' perceptions towards developmental needs in Odisha of India

Introduction

Fish farming is beneficial for the economic development of farmers in India. In Many states of India, fish farming is done as the country has a rich source of water bodies and also a very long coastal belt. Mruthyunjaya (2004) [8] reported that the fishery business is a profitable enterprise providing family employment and income throughout the year. The study also reported that fishermen with higher incomes have a greater economic incentive to earn more. Kawarazuka & Bene (2011) [6] found that fish have high nutritional value (particularly small fish) in terms of micronutrients (bioavailable calcium, vitamin A, iron, and zinc), and the potentially effective contribution that fish can offer in principle to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. The farmers are not only cultivating fish but also exporting them to various countries, including Australia and Japan. Odisha is one of the largest producers and consumers of fish, encompassing both marine and freshwater fisheries. An attempt was made to ascertain the extent of respondents' perception about the different aspects of fish cultivation that need to be improved or developed, essentially for their socio-economic development.

Materials and Methods

The highest inland fish-producing districts were selected from four agroclimatic zones of Odisha, which were Khorda, Denkanal, Sambalpur, and Bhadrak. From these four districts, two blocks were selected purposively based on the production of fresh fish farming. Then, four panchayats were purposively selected as the study area, from which a total of 240 fish farmers were randomly selected to determine their development status after adopting fish farming. For that purpose, some major domains of socio-economic development have been considered. These are the needs for skill competency in technology use, the need for economic development through fish farming, the need for infrastructure development, the need for social development, the need for development of credit and financial conditions, and the need for development of linkages with stakeholders, among others. Under each major domain, a number of statements were considered, against which respondents were asked to indicate their responses on a three-point scale with corresponding scores of 2, 1, and 0, respectively. Finally, the perception index for each major domain of development has been calculated and placed in the tables below separately for each domain.

Results and Discussion

The development index can be found in many ways. Not only socio-economic development, but also the development of fish farmers in terms of skill competency in handling technology, infrastructural development, and the timely availability of credit, was studied to understand the overall development of fish farmers.

Perception about the need for skill competency in technology use

The technology development helped the fish farmers decrease the cost of farming and management, as well as increase production and income. The extension officer who disseminates the technology might have arranged various extension approaches to develop the technological knowledge and skills of the fish farmers. The above table revealed that respondents had a high level of need perception for Skill competency in nursery management and Competency in selecting quality fingerlings. Respondents were found to have a medium level of need perception regarding the Adoption of recommended practices and Exposure to various sources of information. Respondents were found to have a semi-medium level of need perception in case of Easy availability of technological information and Exposure to the latest technological developments. They were found to have a low level of need perception regarding aspects such as permanency in the flow of technological information. While examining the overall perception index, it was found that the respondents had a medium to semi-medium level of need perception regarding various aspects of technology use competency. The results are quite in line with the respondents' knowledge and adoption level. The extension advisory system should take this into account to formulate its technology dissemination and training approach. Carballo et.al. (2008) [3] had also found similar results.

Perception of need for economic development through fish farming

Fish farmers earn a profit from fish farming, which ultimately helps them improve their economic condition and social status. Economic development also helped farmers increase their standard of living. From the table, it can be observed that respondents had a high perception of the need for an Increase in production and productivity, as well as avenues for self-employment, for their economic development. In the case of aspects such as good rapport with tradesmen and businessmen, a Substantial increase in income, and a Substantial increase in employment generation, they had a medium level of perceived need for economic development, with little district difference. In aspects such as competency in collecting market information, Disposal of produce at a remunerative price, and Competency in post-harvesting management, respondents had a medium level of need perception for their economic development. While considering the overall need perception index, it was found that respondents had a medium level of need perception of different aspects towards their economic development.

Perception of need for infrastructure development

Infrastructure in fish farming included facilities, accessories, equipment, and other resources required for development. The primary data collected from the fish farmers through personal interviews, analyzed and presented in the table below. From the table, it can be observed that respondents had low to medium levels of perceived need for infrastructure development, which is necessary for their economic development. Regarding aspects such as the optimum utilization of resources, respondents had a medium level of perceived need. In aspects such as purchasing fishing accessories, developing additional ponds, Productive time management, renovating dwellings, improving overall living conditions, and owning an irrigation system for the fishing pond, respondents had a medium level of need perception. In the case of aspects such as the expansion of fishery activities, establishing nursery ponds, and the Development of essential family assets, respondents were found to have a low level of perceived need regarding their socio-economic development. The results aligned with those of Asche (2012) [2] . The overall index suggests that respondents had a moderate level of awareness regarding various aspects of infrastructure development that could improve their socioeconomic condition.

Need perception for the development of socio-personal attributes

Improvement in social status brings social equity, justice, prestige, and a more positive perception towards the adoption of technologies. The social status of a person establishes their control over resources and increases their occupational competency and decision-making capacity. www.extensionjournal.com From the above table, it can be gathered that respondents had a high level of need perception towards the sociopersonal attributes, such as good linkage with extension officials, better coordination and team spirit, Improvement in decision-making ability, and maintaining good harmony among the fishing community with minimal district variations. A medium level of need perception was observed in the case of socio-personal attributes, such as receiving more attention from departments and developing resources on a community basis. While considering the overall index in this regard, it was found that respondents had a high level of need perception towards the development of different sociopersonal attributes. Jega et al. (2018) [5] found, in their study, that diversifying the number of fish cultured through domestication, breeding, and the culture of wild species may significantly boost fish production and reduce imports. The incorporation of social, cultural, and economic development aspects of fishermen's needs must be adequately considered in future fisheries development plans. In case of aspects like availing credit as per the requirement, paying installment as per capability, and timely credit disbursement, respondents were found to have a medium level of need perception. While in the case of aspects like building good rapport with credit institutions, flexibility in repayment, respondents were found to have a semi-medium level of need perception, and in the case of easy processing of documents, respondents were found to have a low level of need perception. The overall index shows that respondents had a semi-medium to medium level of need perception. Patel et al. (2019) [10] and et al. (2020) found that fish farmers have gained an increased level of satisfaction through growth in fish culture production, accompanied by corresponding economic gains. Further, attempts have been made to ascertain the need perception of respondents towards the development of linkages with stakeholders. The results are presented in the table below. www.extensionjournal.com From the table, it can be observed that respondents had a high need perception for linkages with Fishery Scientists and with Traders and businessmen. While they were found to have a medium level of need perception towards linkages with Fishery research institutes, State fishery development, and marketing organizations. The findings have similarities with Allison and Ellis (2001) [1] , Wandji et al. (2012) [11] , and Haobijam and Ghosh (2018) [4] .

Respondents were found to have a low level of need perception for Meteorological officials and the State disaster management agency. The overall index indicates that respondents had a medium level of perceived need in this regard, with minimal district differences. The consolidated results of the respondents' need perception are presented in Table 7. From the table, it can be observed that respondents had a high need perception for the development of their sociopersonal attributes, as well as a medium level need perception for skill competency, economic development, credit and finance facilities, and linkages with stakeholders.

In case of need for infrastructure development, they had a semi-medium level of need perception. The results are quite in line with their socio-economic orientation, knowledge, and adoption level. education, income from fishery, extension contact, and sources of information used appeared as important variables for every count. In all those areas, respondents were inclined towards belonging to the semimedium to medium level, and this cumulative reflection was evident in their perception of the need for different aspects of development. Respondents' overall perception was limited to their education, knowledge, sources of information used, and extension contact. Moreover, lower economic conditions left little scope for the respondents to have a clear idea of the need for development.

A further attempt was made to ascertain the association between respondents' need perception and selected socioeconomic attributes. From the above table, it can be observed that all the selected socio-economic attributes of the respondents were positively and significantly related to their perception of different aspects of development, mostly at a 1% level of significance, except for age. The findings therefore suggest that officials and extension personnel should consider these attributes of the respondents when planning educational activities, as well as implementing training and demonstrations, to achieve the desired results. Khadka and Tiwari (2020) [7] found that improved aquaculture promotes the formation of farmers' groups, builds relations with the government, adopts a different strategy of fish farming, and www.extensionjournal.com seeks experts' assistance to develop aquaculture as a sustainable livelihood.

Conclusion

The fish farmers of Odisha, after adopting modern and new technological practices, have improved their standard of living. The farmers have faced numerous problems during the adoption of new farming practices, but with the help of extension workers and by availing themselves of various government policies, they can easily overcome these constraints, which ultimately indicates the socio-economic development of the farmers. The farmers also exhibit the highest socio-personal development, followed by skill competency, economic development, easy access to credit and finance, and good coordination with stakeholders. Inland fish farming not only improves the standard of living of the fish farmers but also improves the state's production and productivity by providing a sustainable development for them.

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