Support of the scientists in risk management: Farmer’s perception

Abstract

In Indian economy farmers face many risks and challenges in cultivating the crops to attain a valuable output. The factors that influence a farmer are economical, social, demographic and more significantly the natural elements of the region. Indian farmers till day can be categorized with certain features such as illiteracy, economic backwardness, deprived of enjoying the right to information, unawareness, etc. Farmer is still a dependent on money lenders to support his occupation financially, on government for availing subsidies, and on researchers and agriculture scientists to get technical support. Here, it is imperative to define the risks and related factors pertaining to farmers who involved in agriculture. Poor returns to cultivation and absence of non-farm opportunities are indicative of the larger socio-economic depression in rural India. This is accentuated by the multiple risk factors that the farmer faces – yield, price, input, technology and credit among others. The present study explores the support extended by the agricultural scientists in adopting risk management techniques by the farmers to enhance agricultural output. The attitude, practices, and challenges experienced by the farmers in the Southern Zone of Andhra Pradesh are studied under this analysis.