Comparing the information deficiency among registered and non-registered vegetables growers in peri-urban areas of District Lahore

Abstract

Information is augmented as much needed for the farmers in the process of making decisions and adopting recommended production technologies. Therefore, we compared the information deficiency among registered and non-registered vegetable farmers in the peri-urban areas of district Lahore. The study was quantitative and a total of 360 vegetable growers (180 registered and 180 non-registered growers) participated in this study as respondents. The respondents were interviewed face to face on a validated and structured interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). T-statistics were applied to the data to compare the information deficiency. T-statistics indicated that information regarding seed rate, seed section, sowing methods and land preparation had a statistically highly significant mean difference (P=0.000) between the registered and non-registered growers. Nursery raising, irrigation application, fertilizer application and varieties were statistically significant (P<0.05). Whereas, sowing time, transplanting, maintenance of plant population, insect/pests/disease identification, insect/pest management and harvesting were statistically non-significant (P0.05) indicating no mean difference. As for as constraints were concerned, lack of participation of farmers in extension activities, access to resources and lack of motivation were the significant (P<0.05) constraints in wake of accessing information. This study concludes that information deficiency was existing among farmers, which needs to be alleviated through the integration of modern information dissemination tools, increased access to extensions services and giving motivation to the farmers by increasing their involvement in extension activities in particular.