Abstract :
A farmer’s decision to engage with agroforestry practices further depends upon personal vision about knowledge and experience about land use options and especially on the agricultural practices. Several studies have been carried out to gain insight into the adoption of agroforestry in Indian sub continent. But very less have shown light on knowledge, experience and decision making of farmers to adopt or not to adopt agroforestry. To evaluate this, a survey was conducted on the present conditions of farmlands and farmers households in Haridwar, India. Objectives of the study were to access farmers’ knowledge, experience, their decision making, and role of women in the process and activities at farm level. Responses from 426 farm households containing both agroforestry and non-agroforestry farmers were recorded and than analyzed to compare above said objectives. Results shown that level of farming experience were more in agroforestry farmers than the non agroforestry farmers. Non-agroforestry farmers were having lesser medium (32.79%) and sufficient (52.46%) level of farming experience than the agroforestry adopters (36.44% for medium and and 60.27% for sufficient level, respectively). Average and sufficient level of knowledge was also reported higher in adopters. The study concludes that farming experience, decision making process and agroforestry experience are at higher level in agroforestry farmers than that of non-agroforestry farmers. However, the inferior status of women in family as they don’t have much chances or right to take decisions at farm level which is important aspect in agroforestry hence need to be improved.
Keyword :
Adoption, Agroforestry, Farmers, Practices, Women