Assessment of Information Needs of Apple Growers in District Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India

Nowadays it is a prerequisite to know the information needs of farmers and to provide information according to their needs. Along with land, labour and capital, Information is perceived as a critical factor of production in farming. Information regarding various aspects of crop production and protection can empower farmers to mitigate losses. Apple among various horticultural crops holds great promise for the economy and livelihood of farmers living in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The area under apple cultivation has increased but the production and productivity have not increased to a satisfactory level. There is an urgent need to identify the information needs of farmers. The present study was undertaken to find out the information needs of apple growers in the northern district (Baramulla) of J & K (UT) having the maximum area and production of apple fruit in the UT. The study adopted a descriptive research design and the sample size of 300 apple growers was selected through a proportionate random sampling method from purposively selected 15 horticultural zones of district Baramulla, having maximum area and production of apple fruit in the district. Data was collected personally by the researcher through a well-structured interview schedule. The most prioritized areas of information needs expressed by the apple growers were disease management, training/pruning, govt. schemes and subsidies, innovative techniques (HDP) and pest management. The overall information needs behaviour of apple growers was medium (45.00%) with mean information needs of 62.48. Explanatory variables land holding, source of information and scientific orientation have a positive and significant relationship with the information needs of apple growers. A pertinent information dissemination strategy can be developed on the basis of their information needs behaviour. The study will act as an eye-opener for policy makers to formulate relevant policies and design programmes to enhance the production and productivity of apple.