A study on socio-economic and personal characteristics of tomato growers in South Odisha

Abstract

The present study was conducted to understand the socio-economic and personal characteristics of tomato growers, which will help policymakers in selecting appropriate measures and policies for the tomato grower's welfare. A total of 120 sample sizes were selected from 12 villages and 10 respondents from each village a total of (n=120) sample sizes. The study revealed that a significant proportion of the respondents, (73.33%) fall into the marginal/small farmer category, followed by (25.83%) are under the semi-medium farmer category. More than half (66.67%) of the tomato growers (60.17%) had medium-level annual income, between 1 Lakh and 1.5 Lakh. For training exposure, a large percentage (47.50%) stated that they received one to two training at all about the processing or marketing of their tomatoes, followed by those who reported receiving no training (40.83%) and those who received three or more training (11.67%). The study suggested several key areas for intervention to improve tomatoes' economic condition, like improving educational opportunities, improving land productivity through modern agriculture practices, diversifying income sources, and increasing market awareness. This highlights the need for educational and training programs to improve educational knowledge and skills.