Standard of Living of National Horticulture Mission Beneficiaries in Davanagere District of Karnataka

The study was conducted in six talukas of Davanagere district to analyze shift in the standard of living of beneficiaries before and after participation in NHM programme. A total of 144 beneficiaries from randomly selected 24 villages formed the population of the study. The data were collected using pre tested structured schedule through personal interview method. The components of standard of living included were annual income, social status, employment generation and re-investment pattern. The results revealed that social status of the beneficiaries increased by 197.7 per cent compared to before and after participation in NHM followed by 178.1 per cent value addition in education, 68.1 per cent in investment on social functions, 30.5 per cent in annual income, 21.8 per cent in investment on savings, 20.9 per cent in employment generation and 6.8 per cent in investment on assets. The overall standard of living of beneficiaries after participation in NHM was raised by 76.6 per cent. This confirmed the positive effects of the NHM programme on the living standards of the beneficiaries.