A Study on Socio-economic Profile of Paddy Growers in Milkipur Block of Ayodhya District of Uttar Pradesh, India

The study was conducted in five villages of Milkipur block in Ayodhya district, selected purposively based on proximity to the researcher and accessibility. A complete list of all paddy growers in each selected village was prepared. From this list, a total of 120 farmers were selected using a proportionate random sampling technique. The results of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents exhibited various socio-economic characteristics, such as being in the age category of 39-62 years (61.67%), being literate (84.16%), belonging to the general caste (39.17%), living in nuclear families (85.83%), having a family size of 4-8 members (62.50%), being marginal farmers with land holdings below one hectare (43.33%), and having agriculture as their main occupation with subsidiary agricultural labor occupations (90.83% and 21.66%, respectively). A mixed housing pattern was observed in 56.66% of the respondents. In terms of material possessions, diesel engines (53.33%) and chaff cutters (85.83%) were the main farm power and agricultural implements, respectively. For transportation, bicycles (98.33%) were predominant. In terms of communication media, household materials such as coats (100%) and mobile phones (100%) were reported as main possessions. Additionally, 57.50% of respondents had no participation in any organizations. The majority of respondents (52.50%) reported an annual family income of up to 50,000. Gram pradhan (05.57%), family members (06.00%), and mobile phones (06.00%) were identified as the main formal, informal, and communicational sources of extension contact, respectively.