A Study on Relationship of Socio Economic Status with Knowledge and Adoption of Post-harvest Management Practices among the Mango Growers in Jammu District

Among the major fruits of India, mango (Mangifera indica L.) is known as the king of fruits. Mango occupies a preeminent place amongst the sub-tropical fruits grown in Jammu region and is extensively grown in Jammu district. The horticulture crops are perishable in nature and require special attention in their harvesting, handling, packaging, storage and processing operations therefore Post-harvest management of an agricultural product after harvest is done to prolong storage life, freshness and an attractive appearance. To find out the post harvest management practices adopted by the farmers in Jammu district a study was conducted during 2014–15. Based on proportionate random sampling the selected 80 mango growers were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The results showed that one-third (37.50%) of respondents were noticed to fall under medium age interval (59–70 yrs) and 47.50 per cent of the respondents were having small landholdings. Rain water was the main source of irrigation as 48.75 per cent of the respondents were found relying on it. Average area under mango orchards was 1.23 ha. The results of binary regression showed that adoption of postharvest management practices like storage facility were significantly determined by land holdings, number of trees, distance from market and artificial ripening were significantly determined by education, distance of market and extension contact. And only education was found as the independent variable, which affected the knowledge of the respondents regarding post harvest management practices.