A study on personal traits of model farmers in technology dissemination

During first five decades of independence, the focus of Indian agriculture remained on improving production and productivity of food grains to meet the growing demand of increasing population. The extension approaches and methodologies in all these years thus focused on supporting more production and on maintaining the required pace. Agriculture today is however seen as a profit oriented enterprise with farmer taking up many new cash crops of commercial value. Under changed situation the focus of agriculture extension has to be on developing capacities and capabilities of farmers to acquire and absorb new knowledge of improved practices. The changing economic scenario in India and the need for appropriate agricultural technologies and agricultural management practices to respond food and nutritional security, poverty alleviation, diversifying market demands, export opportunities and environmental concerns are posing new challenges to the technology dissemination system. An innovative model in technology disseminations has been introduced in state department of Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh based on Prof MS Swaminathan's report on national policy of farmers. With this background an attempt was made to study the personal traits of model farmers (Adarsha Rythus) in Mahaboobnagar district of Andhra Pradesh using ex-post facto research design. The profile analysis of Adarsha Rythus indicated that majority of them were young aged, had education up to SSC level, low farming experience, small farm size, high extension contact, medium level of social capital, mass media exposure, training received and low level of innovativeness and achievement motivation. The findings revealed that the strict guidelines need to be imposed in selection procedure of the model farmers besides providing them opportunity for experiential learning which eases the technology dissemination process. Thus extension system can be supported through establishing model farmers as successful extension approach.