Constraints Perceived by Buffalo Farmers in Interaction with Information Providing Stakeholders

The present study was conducted in Haryana. The 120 buffalo farmers from twelve villages constituted the sample size for the present study. An ex-post facto research design was used for the study. Farmers were asked to rank the constraints that they faced in their interaction with stakeholders. The constraints were studied under four subheads viz., farmers related, extension related, veterinary and infrastructure-related, and other constraints. It was found that low extension agency contact and lack of information about stakeholders were the most important farmers’ related constraints. Most serious extension-related constraints were less focus of state department of animal husbandry personnel on extension activities, unavailability of information in the local language, poor availability of buffalo related literature. The most severe veterinary and infrastructural constraints were lack of rapport of farmers with veterinary surgeons, less availability of veterinary surgeons, inadequate number of veterinary functionaries. Less information on marketing channels, less information on credit/loan, source of credit availability were other most serious constraints that were acting as impediments in their interaction with stakeholders. The perceived constraints can be overcome by increasing extension agency contact, increasing social participation, availing more communication media to the farmers, providing buffalo related literature in the local language, increasing the number of veterinarians per thousand animals, off-campus training, efficient management of cooperatives, more information on market and farm credit, need-based information, and context-specific information to the farmers. The findings of the present research would provide new insights about the impediments in the interaction of buffalo farmers with stakeholders.