Impact of Cluster Frontline Demonstrations on Blackgram on Enhancement of Income of Farmers in Dhubri District of Assam

Abstract

Blackgram is one of the very important pulse crops in Assam as well as India because of its very important dietary constituent for both human and animals. A study on impact of Cluster Frontline Demonstration (CFLD) on blackgram on enhancement of income of farmers in Dhubri district of Assam was carried out during 2021–22 to know the extent of vertical and horizontal penetration of technologies demonstrated under CFLD programmes and to analyze the changes of yield and income of farmers from blackgram crop after adoption of interventions demonstrated under CFLD programmes. Total three clusters under blackgram demonstration were randomly selected and the data were collected from 60 numbers of farmers out of which 30 were beneficiary farmers (demonstrated) and the 30 were non-beneficiary farmers. The results revealed that for both beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers, the area (ha) and productivity (q/ha) were gradually increasing over the years from 2016–17 to 2020–21. The increase in area and productivity of beneficiary farmer were calculated as 3.11% and 9.78%, respectively during 2020–21 over 2016–17 while for non-beneficiary farmers it was 98.39% and 12.50%, respectively. In terms of average net return it was increased from Rs. 20,008 to Rs. 64,960 per hectare. The mean technology gap (q/ha) and technology index (%) was calculated as 1.86 and 18.56, respectively.