Impact of integrated farming system on development of scheduled caste farmers in Tumakuru district of Southern Karnataka

Abstract

The study was conducted in purposively selected Tumakuru district, a total sample of 240 respondents were purposively selected for the study. Data was collected by using pretested structured interview schedule and analysed by using appropriate statistical tools. The results revealed that majority of the respondents found to have marginal land holding and belonged to low level of education, cropping pattern, cosmopoliteness, innovativeness, mass media exposure, extension participation and level of aspiration followed by medium category of training undergone and willingness in agriculture and high level of livestock possession, social participation and risk orientation. It was observed that, the livelihood security of respondents in 'highly satisfied category' increased to 40.42 percent from 27.08 percent, out of seven dimensions maximum increase was noticed in employment security (60.15%) followed by ecological security (47.80%), living amenities (45.73%), assets (40.81%),economic efficiency (34.51%), coping strategies against stress (32.53%) and social equitability (28.80%) and overall livelihood security increased by 42.15 percent after implementation of project. Further, livestock and crop component generated 583.64 mandays of employment per annum and Rs. 1,30,553.50 net income to beneficiary farmers. The average gross income of Rs. 1,91,745.50 from both crop and livestock enterprises of IFS against Rs. 6,513.00 before implementation of the project. As such, for every one rupee investment under IFS they are getting Rs. 3.13 rupee income. The characteristics such as land holding, cropping pattern, livestock possession, cosmopoliteness, innovativeness, mass media exposure, extension participation, level of aspiration, training undergone and willingness in agriculture had positive and significant relationship with livelihood security. The R 2 value indicated that, all the 13 independent variables had contributed to the tune of 63.40 percent of variation in livelihood security. Hence, the positive and significantly related characteristics need to be considered while selecting the farmers for the extension educational programmes to enhance their livelihood security by the concerned development departments.