Augmenting farmers income in North Karnataka through technology application for productivity enhancement and diversification

Abstract

Enhancing farmers income is a major tool to sustain the agriculture and to ensure the farmers’ welfare in the country. The technological interventions can aid in rising farmers’ income by improving productivity for furthering intensification and diversification. The study assessed the impact of technologies implemented by 883 farmers under the guidance of six districts Krishi Vigyan Kendras in northern Karnataka. There was an increase in productivity in most crops during 2017 to 2021. The productivity level of respondent farmers was better than the average productivity of the region in most of the agricultural crops and vegetables. Average productivity achieved by KVK supported farmers compared to the region was low among some horticultural crops because of the low-cost, nature-friendly, bio-intensive approaches promoted by KVKs. Improved productivity led farmers to intensify and diversify farming wherein about 43 and 28 per cent of them intensified livestock rearing and horticulture crop production, respectively. Also, around 16 and 11 per cent of farmers diversified their horticultural and livestock components. Due to productivity led income enhancement, actual increase in income was maximum in the horticultural sector. Farmers in Bagalkot realized highest additional income (`912437/household) and those in Belagavi obtained highest per cent increase in gross income (142.94%) over the benchmark year which was aided by higher index of diversity in sources of income.