Correlative Study on Involvement of Representative Farmers in ATMA

The National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) has framed for pilot testing new institutional arrangements for technology dissemination of the district level and below, through establishment of district Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) as an autonomous organization providing flexible working environment. Hence present investigation was undertaken with an objective to study the relationship between the personal socio-economic characters and the extent of involvement of the representative farmers in ATMA. The present study was conducted in the Amravati District which comes in the vidharbha region of Maharashtra State during the year 2005-2006. For the present research work the Amravati District ATMA (agency) was purposively selected which was started in the year 2000-01. Amravati district ATMA (agency) works in fourteen Tahsils and the representative farmers. From the fourteen Farmers Advisory Committee (FAC) were selected along with the other seven representatives from the Governing Board at the District level. Thus a list of representative farmers was obtained from the office of the Project Director ATMA Amravati. The method of personal interview was used for the data collection and the data from all the selected sample respondents was collected. The respondent farmers were personally contacted for their interview purpose. Present investigation concluded that irrespective of representative farmer's age group, maximum number of them had shown high involvement level and the test of correlation shows negative and non significant relationship. Regarding education and their involvement, findings also show high level involvement among the majority and the test of correlation shows negative and non significant relationship at 0.05 probabilities. Regarding income and involvement, the results show a high level involvement of maximum farmers irrespective of income level. The test of correlation shows negative and non significant relationship at 0.05 probabilities. Regarding land holding and involvement, the results also show a high level involvement among the maximum number, irrespective of their land holding category, and the test of correlation shows a positive and non-significant relationship at 0.05 probabilities. Regarding social participation and involvement, the findings show a positive trend of involvement and the farmers with increasing level, were found involved in ATMA activities irrespective of their social participation in other formal organizations.