Social and personal characteristics of assam lemon (Citrus limon L. Burm) growers

Abstract

The study entitled ‘Social and Personal Characteristics of Assam Lemon (Citrus limon L. Burm) Growers’ was undertaken to examine the demographic and socio-economic profile of farmers engaged in Assam lemon cultivation. Tinsukia district was purposively selected for the study owing to its high concentration of Assam lemon growers. A total of 120 respondents were chosen using multi-stage sampling across two ADO circles and eight villages. Data were collected were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents (62.50%) were in the age group of 34-59 years, predominantly male (83.33%), and educated up to the primary level (34.17%). Most growers belonged to nuclear families (50%) with medium family size (5-7 members). Small landholdings (1-2 ha) were prevalent (56.67%), with farmers primarily engaged in Assam lemon farming along with other agricultural activities. The majority reported medium levels of area, production, and income from lemon cultivation, with an average of 9.59 years of farming experience. Training exposure was relatively high (76.70%), though marketing was largely dependent on middlemen, with 59.16% following the producer-wholesaler-retailer-consumer channel. The study highlights that while Assam lemon cultivation is a viable livelihood option with significant potential, farmers face challenges related to landholding size, limited value addition, and dependence on intermediaries in marketing.