Impact assessment of farmer training on scaling up of vegetable productivity in kumaun hills of Uttarakhand

Vegetable productivity in Uttarakhand is far behind than its neighbouring states. To match the productivity level there is requirement of modern technologies and training to farmers. The institute, VPKAS, Almora has developed modern technologies for vegetable cultivation and also has been organizing several farmers training regularly on vegetable cultivation, seed production, vegetable improvement, utilization and marketing. In order to know the effectiveness of training in scaling up vegetable productivity the present study was planned. This is a comparative study in which two groups comprised of fifty farmers each were selected. In first group the farmers who have availed training on vegetable production at VPKAS in past three years was included whereas, in the second group, the farmers from same locality who have not undergone any training in past was taken. It was found that the trainee farmers were more educated, knowledgeable, skilful, they have better attitude towards farming, achievement motivation, economic orientation than non-trainee farmers. B: C ratio of training was estimated 5.88: 1. Eight variables were found significant factors in the prediction of farmers increase in income. Regression coefficient of education (0.159), perceived skill (0.021), increased vegetable area (0.117) and increased annual average vegetable productivity (0.149) was found significant at 1 per cent level of significance whereas, age (0.007), knowledge (0.009), farmers attitude (0.005) and Income share of vegetable to total agricultural income (−0.003) was found significant at 5 per cent level of significance.