A Study on Adoption Gap and Constraints Analysis of Sugarcane Cultivation in Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The present study was carried out during the year 2021-22 in two blocks of Meerut district of Western Uttar Pradesh. This study was done up on 80 respondents and data were collected through personal interview method. The study revealed that the majority of sugarcane growers (40.00%) were belonged to lower medium age group, (62.50%) belonged to Other Backward Caste, (40.00%) were having education up to intermediate passed, (62.50%) belonging to joint family system, (55.00%) were having 04 to 08 members in family, (86.00%) were having pucca house, (85.00%) respondents were engaged in agriculture as main occupation, (83.75%) respondents were not having membership of any social organizations. The majority (38.70%) of respondents were having 1 to 2 ha of land, (56.25%) were having medium level of home appliance, (76.25%) were having medium level of transportation facilities, (63.75%) were having medium level of farm machinery, (63.75%) were using private tube well for irrigation. Most of the respondents were earning income more than Rs.2 lakhs per annum. The study revealed that most of respondents were using farm and home visits and neighbours as individual contact, field trip/ study tours as group contact and use of mobile phone regularly as mass-media contact. The adoption gap was maximum (25.10%) found in control of diseases followed by (23.15%) in insect pest management and the adoption gap was minimum (6.20%) found in irrigation management and (9.00%) in manure and fertilizers respectively. The majority of respondents were facing constraints about lack of proper guidance in seed treatment, high cost of insecticides and pesticides, scarcity of labours at peak season and high labours charges, crop damage by stray & wild animals, delay of supply slips and payment of sugarcane.