Awareness and adoption of recommended technologies and management practices by the Tea small holders
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the world famous beverage next to the water and having numerous health
and socio economic benefits. Tea, the prominent crop of the plantation sector in Sri Lanka, grows in
many parts of the country (Mendis, 1992).Tea growers who have lands less than 10 acres in extent
are treated as “Tea small holdings” according the Tea Control act. The cultivation of tea is attractive
to small farmers because tea provides work and income throughout the year, requires relatively little
investment, and the risk of complete crop failure is small (Annual Report, Tea Small Holdings
Development Authority, 2012).As well as the Contribution of small holders to the Sri Lankan tea
sector is higher than the plantation sector and it is account for 71.4 % of the national tea output
(TSHDA, 2012). Therefore, application of scientific agricultural knowledge and technology
adaptation in the small holding tea sector is a vital investment to enhance the productivity and overall
performance of the tea industry.
Materials and methodology
Data were collected through a sample survey by giving a structured questionnaire to 8 tea inspector’s
(TI) ranges at Badulla administrative district and 150 small holders were randomly selected as the
respondents. The questionnaire was mainly formulated to identify the awareness, level of adoption,
and factors affecting to the level of adoption. The awareness was measured by percentage of aware
respondents. The adoption level was measured by using “Adoption index” and “Confident interval
method”. Adoption index was categorized in to three levels as low adoption, medium adoption and
high adoption. To identify the factors affecting to level of adoption, regression analysis was
conducted and “Adoption on Technology and recommended practiced” has been taken as the
dependent variable and data were collected for dependent variable under five categories as Machinery
usage, Planting materials, Field practices, Recommended tests and Extension services. For the
independent variables data were collected under nine categorical variables as Gender, Age level,
Education Level, Source of Income, Experience with Tea land, Land ownership, Land extent, Time
spending with tea land and Yield.
Data were analyzed using SPSS Software package and MS-Excel 2010 package. Descriptive statistics
were done to analyze the independent variables and by using regression and correlation analysis
factors affecting to the level of adoption was analyze and their strength was measured.
Results and Discussion
According to the study only 26 % of respondents have the awareness regarding machinery usage in
tea plucking and from them, 48.7 % belongs to year 40 – 50 age group. 79.3 % of the respondents
have awareness regarding the improved varieties. According to the study 64.7 % of the respondents
have an awareness regarding recommended tests like pH test, starch test which use at the field.
Extension services have been accounted under two categories as consulting services and E-consulting
services and according to the study 100 % of the respondents have an awareness on consulting
services while 36 % of the respondents have awareness on E-consulting services. According to the
results of the study it shows that awareness on shade trees, pruning methods and soil conservation
methods are respectively 95.3 %, 90.3 % and 93.3 %.
Level of adoption was calculated using Adoption index and confident interval method. Data were
collected under five categories and finally overall adoption level for the recommended technology
and management practices was calculated
Description
Keywords
Agriculture, Export Agriculture, Tea Industrials, Tea Technology, Management