Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp1 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - II

Efficacy of farmer FIRST Programme on knowledge and adoption of rice technologies in Khordha, Odisha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.10930
Submitted
28 July 2025
Published
14-10-2025

Abstract

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the Farmer FIRST Programme (FFP) in enhancing farmers' knowledge and adoption of rice-based technologies, with a focus on the Pratikshya rice variety, aromatic rice (Kalajeera) cultivation and fodder cultivation in Khordha district of Odisha. Unlike traditional top-down extension models, FFP introduced by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2016 emphasizes on participatory technology development and dissemination. The objective was to assess the programme’s impact on knowledge acquisition and technology adoption by small and marginal farmers. An ex-post facto research design was employed and data were collected from 154 respondents (77 FFP beneficiaries and 77 FFP non-beneficiaries) across four adopted villages from Begunia block using a structured and pre-tested interview schedule. Statistical analyses including frequency, percentage and Z-test were conducted using SPSS. The findings revealed a significantly higher level of knowledge and adoption frequency among FFP beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries. About 40.25 % of beneficiaries exhibited high knowledge levels against 23.37 % among non-beneficiaries, while only 18.18 % of beneficiaries achieved high adoption scores, in contrast to none among non-beneficiaries. The programme’s interventions such as varietal substitution in rice, scientific aromatic rice (Kalajeera) production and year-round fodder cultivation were more widely adopted among the beneficiaries. The results underscore the programme’s success in enriching knowledge and fostering meaningful adoption of location-specific technologies. To ensure sustainability and wider impact, it is essential to enhance extension support, strengthen market linkages and promote capacity-building initiatives.

References

  1. 1. Saini R. Smallholder agriculture: challenges and policies. New Delhi. 2023.
  2. 2. Sethi P, Sharma K. Impact of lab to land programme: A case analysis. New Delhi. 2012.
  3. 3. Chambers R, Jiggins J. Agricultural research for resource-poor farmers: A parsimonious paradigm. IDS Discussion Paper. 1987;220. https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7475(87)90021-3
  4. 4. Pretty JN. Regenerating agriculture: policies and practice for sustainability and self-reliance. Earthscan. London. 1995.
  5. 5. Röling NG, Wagemakers MAE, editors. Facilitating sustainable agriculture: participatory learning and adaptive management in times of environmental uncertainty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998.
  6. 6. Venkatasubramanian V. Agricultural knowledge systems in India: role of extension. New Delhi. 2003.
  7. 7. Nikam V, Kumar S, Jhajria A, Kingsly IT, Chahal VP. Impact of interventions under Farmer FIRST Programme. Indian Farming. 2019;69(5).
  8. 8. Bihari B, Singh M, Bishnoi R, Roy T, Singh L, Kumar S, et al. Impact of scientist–farmer interface in rainfed ecosystem: Farmer FIRST in Doon Valley. Indian J Agric Sci. 2020;90(3):650–8. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v90i3.101510
  9. 9. Reddy AR, Mishra S. Role of Farmer FIRST Programme in bridging gaps through farmer involvement. J Agric Educ Res. 2017;56(4):271–9.
  10. 10. Singh S, Kumar V, Sharma P. Farmer-centered participatory approaches in Farmer FIRST Programme. Indian J Ext Educ. 2019;55(3):45–52.
  11. 11. Joshi V, Patel R, Sharma A. Participatory models improve technology uptake. Agric Res Rev. 2020;11(2):105–12.
  12. 12. Kumar S, Sharma R, Devi P. Impact of Farmer FIRST Programme in Haryana. Indian J Agric Ext. 2023;59(3):145–52.
  13. 13. Sharma KC. Entrepreneurial behaviour of agri-input retailers in Bilaspur district [MSc thesis]. Raipur: Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya. 2017.
  14. 14. Yamane T. Statistics: an introductory analysis. 2nd ed. New York: Harper and Row. 1967. p. 886.
  15. 15. Srinivas A, Sudha V, Archana P. Construction of knowledge test for agriculture officers. Global J Res Anal. 2014;3(1):1–4.
  16. 16. Rogers EM, Shoemaker FF. Communication of innovations. 3rd ed. New York: Free Press. 1971.
  17. 17. Chander A, Rao RD, Singh PK. Comparative analysis of farmers under Farmer FIRST Programme. Int J Agric Sustain. 2018;16(6):192–204.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.