5827 Factors Responsible for Paddy Growers’ Diversification E. Sathyapriya1 and Rexlin Selvin2 ABSTRACT In Tamil Nadu, a constituent state of India, the cultivable area under paddy had reduced over the period of time due to various factors. This study aims to enumerate the factors responsible for paddy growers’ diversification in the study area. Altogether 60 respondents were asked for the factors responsible for diversification. The major push factor responsible for diversification was inadequate labour availability & irrigation and availability of farm inputs was the major pull factor. Keywords: Paddy; diversification; pull factors; push factors 1 Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, TNAU, Coimbatore and 2 Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, AC & RI, Madurai. Received : 12-09-2017; Accepted : 20-10-2017 Sustainable paddy production is the key to India’s food security. Paddy is one of the most important food crops of India. However, the cultivable area has been reducing over the period of time. This study identified the factors responsible for diversification from paddy to cultivation of other crops. The factors are classified into two categories. i.e., Push factors and Pull factors. Push factors can be defined as the factors which are pushing the respondents to go out of the traditional old practices. Push factors are not rigid in nature, it varies across specificity. Push factors are the pathway for finding new dimensions of opportunities. It could be simply depicted as “the impulse we have, the response we give”. Pull factors could be defined as the factors which are responsible for pulling up or attracting people towards the newer dimensions or opportunities. Pull factors should prick the minds towards the newer dimensions. METHODOLOGY Palani block of Dindigul district was purposively selected for this study as it had more shifted area from paddy cultivation. Altogether, 60 respondents were randomly selected to enquire the factors responsible for paddy diversification in Palani block. The Push and Pull factors responsible for diversification of paddy farmers were collected from various related sources and classified as crop production and protection factors, marketing factors, economic factors, postharvest factors Research Note Journal of Extension Education Vol. 29 No. 1, 2017 DOI:https://doi.org/10.26725/JEE.2017.1.29.5827-5830 5828 and social factors. The respondents were asked to express the factors responsible for their farm diversification. Percentage analysis was used for predicting the results. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Factors Responsible for Diversification from Paddy Cultivation The Push and Pull factors responsible by the diversified paddy growers were studied, analyzed and presented in Table 1. Table 1. Factors Responsible for Diversification from Paddy Cultivation (n=60) Push Factors No.* % Pull Factors No.* % Crop Production and Protection Crop Production and Protection Fragmented holding 1 1.67 Low level of water consumption 34 56.67 Poor soil fertility 8 13.33 Industrialization of agriculture 14 23.33 Inadequate irrigation 46 76.66 Availability of Farm inputs/implements 37 61.67 Inadequate labour availability 48 80.00 Low pest and disease occurrence 29 48.33 High wage rate of labour 25 41.67 Availability of advisory services 7 11.67 High incidence of pests and diseases 3 5.00 Marketing Factors Marketing Factors Changing consumer demand 7 11.67 Lack of marketing opportunity 13 21.67 Availability of various marketing opportunities 15 25.00 Low price of product/ commodity 23 38.33 Possibility of export services 2 3.33 Economic Factors Financial Factors Lack of credit facility 8 13.33 Less cost with increased remuneration 38 63.33 Increased cost of cultivation 18 30.00 High price for specific commodity 11 18.33 Increased family expenditure pattern 32 53.33 Abundant credit/subsidy facility 17 28.33 Factors Responsible for Paddy Growers’ Diversification 5829 Push Factors No.* % Pull Factors No.* % Post-harvest practices Post-harvest practices Lack of storage facility 11 18.33 Storage facility 9 15.00 Inadequate processing/ value addition unit 10 16.67 Value addition/Processing unit 9 15.00 Social Factors Social Factors Nuclear Family 5 8.33 Social recognition 13 21.67 Conscious of health control 20 33.33 Social cohesion 25 41.67 Joint decision by family members 11 18.33 Improved social status 25 41.67 *- Multiple responses Push Factors It could be seen from Table 1 that the farmers had shifted from paddy to other crops or entrepreneurial activities for various reasons. Concerning crop production and protection factors, more than three - fourths of the respondents revealed that inadequate labour availability (80.00 per cent) and inadequate irrigation (76.66 per cent) were the major push factors for shifting their regular activity. Regarding marketing factors, low price range of product/commodity and lack of marketing opportunity were quoted by a range of 22 – 38 per cent of respondents as the push factors for diversification. Increased family expenditure pattern (53.33 per cent), increased cost of cultivation (30.00 per cent) and lack of credit facility (13.33 per cent) were the reasons attributed by the respondents as financial factors for diversification. As Post-harvest factors, lack of storage facility (18.33 per cent) and inadequate processing/value addition unit (13.33 per cent) were stated by less than one – fifth of the respondents. Regarding Social factors, majority of the respondents expressed that conscious of health control (33.33 per cent), joint decision by family members (18.33 per cent) and nuclear family status (8.33 per cent) were the push factors for diversification. Pull Factors As for the pull factors in crop production/protection, majority of the respondents stated ‘availability of farm inputs/implements’ (61.67 per cent), low level of water consumption (56.67 per cent), low incidence of pests and diseases (48.33 per cent) as the major pull factors. Availability of advisory services was quoted by nearly 12 per cent, as the reason for diversification. Regarding Journal of Extension Education 5830 marketing factors, availability of various marketing opportunities (25.00 per cent), changing consumer demand (11.67 per cent), possibility of export services (3.33 per cent) were stated as the pull factors for diversification. Regarding economic factors, majority of the respondents had revealed that, less cost with increased remuneration (63.33 per cent), abundant credit/subsidy facility (28.33 per cent), and more price for specific commodity (18.33 per cent) as the pull factors for diversification. Regarding post-harvest practices, 15.00 per cent of them and stated storage facility, value addition/ processing units as the pull factors for diversification. Regarding social factors, nearly 42 per cent of them expressed both social cohesion and improved social status as the pull factors for diversification, followed by social recognition (21.67 per cent). Paddy cultivation can greatly benefit small –scale cultivators and help end hunger in countries like India. This study has identified the factors that lead to diversification of paddy farmers. Varied employment opportunities and availability of regular wages to the skilled labourers during the cropping season and successive seasons might be the major reasons for non-availability of labour. The respondents were forced to move towards crop cultivation and other enterprise activities (Farming + other enterprises) for which they need minimum number of laborers over a period of time, and the availability of various marketing opportunities also had attracted respondents towards changing their enterprise activities in the study area. REFERENCES Bala, B. & Sharma. S.D. (2005). Effect on Income and Employment of Diversification and Commercialization of Agriculture in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 18, 261- 269 Ellis, F. (2004). Occupational Divers ification in Developing Countries and Implications for Agricultural Policy. Programme of Advisory and Support Services to DFID (PASS). Project No. WB0207. University of East Anglia, Norwich. Hari, A. & Kishore Kumar N. (2016) Scenario Analysis of Rice Cultivation in Kerala. Journal of Extension Education, 28(4) Factors Responsible for Paddy Growers’ Diversification