A profile of makhana-cum-fish culturist at Katihar district of Bihar

Makhana (Euryale ferox) is an important cash crop marketed as ‘popped makhana,’ locally known as ‘makhana lawa.’ Although its great nutritional value and potential health advantages are significant, it is an underutilised aquatic food crop worldwide. Fish and makhana are mutually beneficial crops because the makhana crop's detritus creates organic matter that helps plankton growth, which is food for fish. The fish also boosts income and helps to control makhana pests. The fish's excreta serve as organic manure. The study of the socio-economic characteristics of makhana farmers helps to understand the needs, aspirations, and resources of farmers. Keeping these facts in mind, the study was conducted among 180 farmers selected at random from four blocks in Bihar's Katihar district. The findings of the study revealed that a good number of the respondents (44.5%) belonged to the middle age group. A good number of respondents (41.66%) had a higher secondary level of education. It was also seen in the study area that 57 per cent of respondents were Hindu, and 75 per cent of respondents had a pucca house. With regards to family size, the majority of respondents (71.19%) belonged to a medium sized family of 4 to 6 members, and more than half of the respondents (55%) lived in a joint family. The majority of respondents (62.77%) were small farmers with a farming area of less than 5 acres. A good number of respondents (36.66%) had the secondary occupation of makhana cultivation and only 13.34 per cent were engaged in makhana-cum-fish farming as tertiary occupation. In terms of social participation, half of the respondents (50%) were members of more than one organization. Nearly half of the respondents (47.80%) were in the middle-income category of annual income of Rs 50000 to 100000, and more than half of the respondents (55.56%) had low farming experience of up to 5 years. With regards to communicational characteristics, it was found that the majority of the respondents (58.9%) had a medium level of mass media exposure, and 68.34 per cent also had a medium level of extension agency contact. It was also observed that the television was the most frequently used source of information with mean score 2.73. With regards to a psychological variable, the majority of respondents (83.89%) had a medium level of economic motivation, more than half of the respondents (54.44%) had a medium level of risk orientation, and 67.78 per cent also had a medium level of innovativeness.