PERCEPTION OF TEA SMALL HOLDERS IN BADULLA DISTRICT IN ADOPTING MIX CROP CULTIVATION
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Date
2012
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Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Due to the largest plantation crop in Sri Lanka, tea industry has been major source of foreign exchange. Tea small holding sector is becoming major stake holder in income generation from tea in Sri Lanka. Small tea growers are mainly contributed to the national tea production. And also tea based mix cropping is a strategy to intensify the inefficient land use of tea mono crop cultivation and to provide an additional income to growers. Objectives of this study were to study the factors affect on mix crop cultivation, to evaluate the willingness of tea small holders for adopting to mix crop cultivation in tea lands and to make suggestions to promote various tea based crops cultivation in Badulla District. Questionnaire and structured interview method were used. Secondary data was collected from TSHDA regional centers in Badulla district. This study was analyzed the effect of several variables on the adoption decision of tea small holders to mix crop cultivation. Factors were the age of the small holder, education, farming experience, monthly income, land extent, the type of income and the intensity of extension contact. Categorical data analysis was carried out and a chi square test was done using collected data from a survey of 180 small holders in Baddulla district. The results wereirevealed that the adoption of mixed cropping was significantly influenced by the type of income and intensity of extension contacts while insignificant effect of age of the smallholder, education level, farming experience, monthly income and the land extent. Most of the tea smallholders have shown willingness to adopt pepper cultivation with tea.Their adoption decision on mix crop cultivation could be increased by access to loans and increasing the extension services.
Key words: Small holder, Mix crop cultivation, Willingness, Adoption
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Tea Technology and Value Addition Degree Programme ( TEA)