Identifying influential variables on livestock breeding and rearing knowledge level of cattle keepers in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan

The study was conducted in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan in the year 2016–17. Two villages namely Rajasani and Chopasani Charnan of Tiwri block of Jodhpur district were selected randomly from ICAR-CAZRI's Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav Initiative (MGMGI) programme. A predetermined sample of sixty respondents, 30 respondents per village were randomly selected. The data were collected through observations with the help of a personal interview schedule. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (36.66%) belonged to old aged group (> 55 years) and had their education (31.67%) up to middle level. Dairying with agriculture profession was the most (93.33 per cent) prevalent occupation. The data regarding family size indicates that majority of respondents (85%) are having 4–10 members and more than fifty per cent (53.33%) of the respondents had farm size of 1–2 ha. About 68.00 per cent of the respondents possess 1–2 milch animals. Majority (81.67%) of the respondents were in medium level of mass media exposure and extension agency contact. Almost 88.37 per cent of the respondents were not participated socially. Regarding the amount of milk production, 63.34 per cent farmers produced about 2–5 litres milk per day. More than two-third of the respondents were having medium annual income (Rs. 14, 642-Rs.32, 924) and economic motivation. Among the dairy farmers, more than half of the respondents were medium in their progressiveness and religious belief, while two third of the respondents (75%) had medium level of Fatalism-Scientism. Further the study revealed that the majority of dairy farmers (53.34%), possessed medium level of knowledge followed by 23.33 per cent each of low and high categories. The results obtained from simple correlation and path analysis indicated that thecharactersextension agencycontact and annual incomehad strong positive correlation and high magnitude of positive direct effects on knowledge level about dairy farming practices.