Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers: A Study of Innovative Management System in Punjab

The study was conducted on potato seed producing group, Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers (POSCON), Jalandhar, operating at state level. A combined questionnaire and interview approach was used to survey group members. Out of the total 250 members, 40 members were randomly selected. The study examines the effectiveness and also determines the facilitating and hindering factors for effective group functioning. It was found that all functioning characteristics were found to be effective. The overall Functioning Effectiveness Index (FEI) of the group was more than 0.70 indicating that the group functioned effectively in terms of selected group characteristics. The major variables such as group goal achievements, group motivation, group cooperation and participation in group activities had contributed highly for the effective performance of the group. Important facilitating factors for effective functioning of the group were increased income, knowledge gain of advanced technical information in potato seed production, transparency in functioning and easy availability of loan. The main hindering factors were inadequate government support for lobbying issues, marketing and policies that favor farmers.