A Study on Socio-Economic Characteristics of Farmers Practicing Different Farming Systems

The present study was conducted in Eastern and Southern Dry Zones of Karnataka to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers practicing different farming systems with the total sample size of 120 respondents (60 from irrigated eco-system and 60 from rainfed eco-system). The results indicated that 43.33 per cent and 40.00 per cent of the irrigated and rainfed eco-system farmers belonged to middle age, respectively. It was observed that irrigated (36.67%) and rainfed (43.33%) ecosystem farmers had high school education. More than half of the irrigated (66.67%) and rainfed (60.00%) ecosystem farmers had 3–5 family members, nearly half of the irrigated eco-system farmers (45.00%) had medium farming experience, in contrast to low farming experience of 35.00 per cent of rainfed farmers, irrigated (41.67%) and rainfed (51.67%) eco-system farmers were having small holdings. It could be seen that more than one third (36.67% and 45.00%) had medium level of aspiration, majority (51.67% and 61.67%) had medium level of economic motivation, medium level of achievement motivation (48.34% and 46.67%), medium (71.67% and 51.67%) level of management orientation, majority (76.67% and 65.00%) possessed medium risk orientation, majority (53.33% and 80.00%) possessed medium value orientation among irrigated and rainfed eco-system farmers, respectively. An equal percentage (41.67%) of both categories belonged to high level of decision making pattern, about 45.00 per cent of the irrigated eco-system farmers had high innovative proneness whereas, 45.00 per cent of rainfed eco-system farmers’ medium innovative proneness. A majority (40.00% and 38.34%) medium social participation category, almost an equal percentage (41.67% and 45.00%) had medium extension contact, medium mass media use (43.33% and 53.33%) among irrigated and rainfed eco-system farmers.