MadrasAgric.J.,2024; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.500015

111|7-9|

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Received: 28 Aug 2024

Revised: 13 Sep 2024

Accepted: 25 Sep 2024

*Corresponding author's e-mail: trajpravin@gmail.com

To Study the Attitude of Horticultural Farmers Towards

the National Horticulture Mission in Krishnagiri District of

Tamil Nadu

Mokesh S¹and T. Raj Pravin ^*

1Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu – 608002, India

Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Pechiparai, Tamil Nadu – 629101, India.

ABSTRACT

The study on the attitude of horticultural farmers towards the

National Horticulture Mission in Hosur, Shoolagiri and Krishnagiri

blocks of Krishnagiri district reveals that nearly half (45.00%) of the

respondents in this study strongly agree. Another 20.00% do agree that

NHM encourages the farmers to take up proper care of their horticultural

crops in the study area. Majority (33.33%) of the respondents in

this study and another 20.00% strongly disagree with the procedure

for getting the benefits from NHM is complex. About (23.33%) of the

respondents and another 20.00 strongly agree and agree that NHM

helps the farmers to improve their overall social status in society. It was

found that 36.66% strongly disagree and disagree (30.00%) that NHM

creates marketing facilities for fruits during the rise in fruit production.

The majority (30.00%) disagree and another 23.33% strongly disagree

that NHM benefits are unreached to all due to its improper publicity in

the study area. About 36.66% of the respondents disagree and another

25.00 % strongly disagree that NHM benefits only the big farmers.

One-fourth (25.00 percent) of the respondents and another 18.33%

strongly agree and agree in this study that NHM increase hope for small

scale fruit processing industries. About 23.3% and another 18.33% of

the respondents in this study strongly agree that NHM is a boon for

small and marginal farmers in the study area. The findings also reveal

that more than half (58.33%) of the respondents disagree and strongly

disagree (23.33%) that NHM activities are irrelevant to the needs of

small and marginal farmers.

Keywords : Attitude, National Horticulture Mission and Horticulture Farmers

INTRODUCTION

The horticulture sector remains as an important

integral component of the food and nutritional security

of our nation. With various sub-segments such as

vegetables, fruits, aromatic and herbal plants, flowers,

spices and plantation crops, today horticulture sector

has also provided economic security to millions of our

small and marginal farmers and agricultural laborers

belonging to a wide range of agro-climatic conditions.

The Government of India, today recognising the

importance of horticulture aims at diversifying our

food basket by inclusion of more horticultural crops

by deploying precision farming technologies there by

raising more crop per drop and aiming at doubling

farmer’s income. Off late, new development efforts are

undertaken in Tamil Nadu and across India through

National Horticulture Mission (NHM) interventions

MadrasAgric.J.,2024; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.500015

111|7-9|

towards promotion of holistic growth of horticulture

sector. Keeping this in view, the present study was

undertaken to study the attitude of horticultural

farmers towards National Horticulture Mission in

Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.

Research Methodology

The study was undertaken in Krishnagiri district of

Tamil Nadu, one of the backward district of the state

where horticulture crops occupy a maximum area

under cultivation. Among the ten blocks in Krishnagiri

districts, three blocks namely Hosur, Shoolagiri and

Krishnagiri was purposively selected as they have

more number of National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

beneficiaries were selected for this study. From

each block, two villages were selected based on the

maximum number of beneficiaries who attended NHM

training. About 120 farmers representing NHM in the

study area were selected for this study.

The selected respondents were interviewed with a

pre tested interview schedule. Their responses were

documented, tabulated and appropriate statistical

tools was used for analysis.

Findings and Discussion

The findings on the distribution of NHM beneficiaries

according to their attitude towards NHM are presented

below in table 2

The findings of the study on the attitude of

horticultural farmers towards National Horticulture

Farmers are discussed below

NHM activities are irrelevant to the needs of

small and marginal farmers.

Majority (58.33%) of the respondents in this

study disagree and strongly disagree (23.33%) with

this statement. A relative small proportion (6.67%) is

Table 1. Block & village wise distribution of selected respondents

S.No

Name of the Block

Name of the village

No. of beneficiaries

selected for this study

Hosur

Nagondapalli

Thattiganapalli

Krishnagiri

Maharajakadai

Narapalli

Shoolagiri

Kudisadhanapalli

Pannapalli

Total

120

undecided on this and few more of the respondents

in this study agree (6.67%) and strongly agree with

the above statement in the study area. But, majority

of the beneficiaries of NHM beneficiaries in this study

are mostly small (55%) and marginal (21%) farmers.

This makes this negative statement an irrelevant one

as NHM activities are beneficial to them in carrying out

their crop production and protection activities in the

study area.

NHM encourages the farmers to take proper

care of their horticultural crops.

The majority (45.00%) of the respondents strongly

agree and another 20.00% agree that NHM encourages

the farmers to take up proper care of their horticultural

crops in the study area. About 13.33% are undecided

on the above statement. About 10.00% disagree and

another 11.67% strongly disagree with this statement.

The reason behind such an outcome can be attributed

to their participation in the NHM programs. Increased

participation

the

NHM

trainings

organized

encourages the farmers to take proper care of their

horticultural crops. Reduced or less participation in

the NHM program by the beneficiaries in this study

might have resulted in farmers taking up less care

for their horticultural crops as they are unaware of its

actual benefits.

The procedure for getting the benefits from

NHM is complex

The majority (33.33%) of the respondents in this

study and another 20.00% strongly disagree that the

procedure for getting benefits from NHM is complex.

About 11.67% of the respondents are undecided on this

statement. About 23.33% agree and 11.66% strongly

agree on this statement. Through, Majority disagree

with this statement that the procedure for getting NHM

MadrasAgric.J.,2024; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.500015

111|7-9|

Table 2. Distribution of NHM beneficiaries according to their attitude towards NHM (n=120)

S.NO

Statements

Respondents (N=120)

SDA

NHM activities are irrelevant to

the needs of small and marginal

farmers

(5.00%)

(6.67%)

(58.33%)

(23.33%)

NHM encourages the farmers

to take proper care of their

horticultural crops

(45.00%)

(20.00%)

(13.33%)

(10.00%)

(11.67%)

The procedure for getting the

benefits from NHM is complex

(11.66%)

(23.33%)

(11.67%)

(20.00%)

(33.33%)

NHM helps the farmer to

improve their overall social

status

(23.33%)

(20.00%)

(13.33%)

(23.33%)

NHM creates new marketing

facilities for fruits during to rise

in fruit production

(1.67%)

(8.33%)

(23.33%)

(30.00%)

(36.66%)

NHM benefits are unreached to

all the farmers due to improper

publicity

(20.00%)

(9.00%)

(11.67%)

(30.00%)

(23.33%)

NHM benefits only the big

farmers

(11.67%)

(10.00%)

(16.66%)

(36.66%)

(25.00%)

NHM increases hope for small-

scale fruit processing industries

(18.33%)

(25.00%)

(21.66%)

(18.33%)

(16.66%)

NHM helps farmers in adopting

of high-cost inputs

(21.66%)

(20.00%)

(21.66%)

(20.00%)

(16.66%)

NHM is a boon for small and

marginal farmers

(23.33%)

(18.33%)

(21.66%)

(20.00%)

(16.66%)

NHM generates new

employment opportunity in rural

area

(15.00%)

(20.00%)

(23.33%)

(16.66%)

(25.00%)

(SA-Strongly Agree, A-Agree, UD- Undecided, DA-Disagree, SDA-Strongly Disagree)

benefits is complex, however more needs to be done

at the grass root level. On the other hand, majority of

NHM beneficiaries being small and marginal farmers

in this study, making the procedure more simplified

will assist many more small and marginal horticultural

farmers in the study area to be a part of this scheme.

So, the need of the hour is to further simply suit the

needs and requirements of our horticultural farmers

to make it more inclusive in the near future.

NHM helps the farmers to improve their overall

social status

The majority (23.33%) of the respondents in this

study and another 20.00 strongly agree and agree that

NHM helps the farmers to improve their overall status

in this society. About 20.00% of the respondents in the

study area are undecided and the remaining 23.33%

and 13.33% strongly disagree and disagree with this

statement. However, majority strongly agree (65.00%)

and Agree (35.00%) that they have achieved social

development in this study. Majority (55%) has also

improved their farm production, enhanced their skills

(71.66%) and has assisted the farmers to improve

their overall social status in the study area.

NHM creates new marketing facilities for fruits

due to rise in fruit production

Majority (36.66%) strongly disagree and disagree

(30.00%) with NHM creating new marketing facilities

for fruits during their rise in production and about

23.33% are undecided over this issue. Only a small part

of the population in the present study agree (8.33%)

MadrasAgric.J.,2024; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.500015

111|7-9|

and strongly agree (1.62%) that NHM has created

marketing facilities for their fruits during times of rise

in their fruit production in the study area. The findings

on the present study also indicates that more needs

to be done by NHM in creating more new marketing

facilities for effectively marketing the fruits produced

by the farmers. Establishment of cold storage facility,

value addition and fruit processing centres are sure

to solve this farm problem in the best interests of all

stakeholders of NHM in the study area.

NHM benefits are unreached to all the farmers

due to improper publicity

Majority (30.00%) disagree and another 23.33%

strongly disagree that NHM benefits are unreached to

all due to its improper publicity in the study area. About

11.67% are undecided over this issue. About 20.00%

percent strongly agree and the remaining 9.00 %

agree with the above statement. With regard to the

attitude of NHM beneficiaries in this study, Majority of

the respondents strongly disagree that NHM benefits

are unreached to all farmers in this study due to

improper publicity. More needs to be done to make

it truly inclusive in nature by increasing publicity and

extension activities in the study area.

NHM benefits only the big farmers

Majority (36.66%) of the respondents in this study

disagree and another 25.00 % strongly disagree with

this statement that NHM benefits only the big farmers

in this study. About 16.66% remains undecided on this

issue. However, 11.67% strongly agree and 10.00%

agree that NHM benefits only the rich farmers in their

study area. However, in a few areas where only big

farmers are available, they could have benefited from

this development scheme. So, NHM benefits only the

big farmers remains as a false statement as to the

findings of this study.

NHM increases the hope for small scale fruit

processing industries

About 25.00 percent of the respondents in the

study and another 18.33% strongly agree and agree

with this statement. A considerable proportion

(21.66%) of the respondents in this study are

undecided about NHM, which increases the hope for

the small-scale fruit process industries in the study

area. About 18.33% and another 16.66% strongly

disagree with this statement. Though, NHM has been

working with the horticulture farmers for more than a

decade in the study area it is yet to set up a small-scale

fruit processing industry. Though the idea of setting up

a food processing industry for processing and value

addition of horticulture produce has been there for

decades nothing has progressed or materialised at

the grass root level. This has made the majority of

the respondents in the study not give their concrete

approval for this thought. At present, NHM in the study

area should work with all its stakeholders to establish

a small-scale fruit processing industry which will give

more economic returns to the horticultural farmers

and also increase their hope towards setting up more

small-scale food processing industries.

NHM helps farmers in adapting of high cost

inputs

This statement finds strong agreement (21.66%)

and agreement (20.00%) with a section of farmers

that NHM helps farmers to adapt high cost inputs in

the study area. Another 21.66% remains undecided

on this statement. Remaining 20.00% and another

16.66% strongly disagree and disagree that NHM

helps farmers in adapting of high cost inputs in the

study. So, NHM assisting the farmers in adapting of

high cost inputs in this study still needs more simplified

procedures to be followed to make it truly inclusive as

majority of NHM beneficiaries in the study area belong

to small and marginal farmers category

NHM is a boon for small and marginal farmers

About 23.3% and another 18.33% of the

respondents in the study strongly agree and agree that

NHM is a boon for small and marginal farmers in the

study area. Another (21.66%) of the respondents in

this study are undecided and the remaining 20.00%

and 16.66% disagree and strongly disagree with this

statement. Though, majority of the NHM beneficiaries

are small and marginal farmers, the Complex

procedure followed as reported earlier in this study in

its implementation has not made it inclusive. Further,

simplifying it will make NHM a boom to smaller

and marginal farmers as it will be given them more

economic benefits, assist in societal development and

skill enhancement. It will also assist in achieving higher

production/ productivity of horticultural produce in the

study area.

NHM generates new employment opportunities

in rural areas

The responses received from the respondents on

MadrasAgric.J.,2024; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.500015

111|7-9|

the above statement reveal that about 25.00% strongly

disagree and 20.00% agree with NHM generating

new employment opportunities in rural areas . About

23.33% of the respondents are undecided over this

development issue about 15.00% of the respondents

strongly agree and another 16.66% disagree that NHM

will generate more new employment opportunities in

the rural areas. Their earlier experiences, perception

and attitude towards NHM has made the respondents

of this study deliver contradictory statements towards

its functioning. So, the need of the hour is NHM should

establish many small scale horticultural processing

industry in the study area so that many unemployed

youth in the nearby rural areas gain more employment

opportunities and the farmers in the locality also

derive good economical returns by processing and the

value adding their farm produce shortly.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the study on Attitude of horticultural

farmers towards National Horticulture Mission in

Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu revealed that, more

than half (58.33%) of the respondents disagree and

strongly disagree (23.33%) that NHM activities are

irrelevant to the needs of small and marginal farmers.

Nearly half (45.00%) of the respondents in this study

strongly agree and another 20.00% agree that NHM

encourages the farmers to take up proper care of their

horticultural crops in the study area. Majority (33.33%)

of the respondents in this study and another 20.00%

strongly disagree with the procedure for getting the

benefits from NHM is complex.. About (23.33%) of the

respondents and another 20.00 strongly agree and

agree that NHM helps the farmers to improve their

overall social status in society. It is found out that

36.66% strongly disagree and disagree (30.00%) that

NHM creates marketing facilities for fruits during to

rise in fruit production. Majority (30.00%) disagree and

another 23.33% strongly disagree that NHM benefits

are unreached to all due to its improper publicity in

the study area. About 36.66% of the respondents

disagree and another 25.00 % strongly disagree

that NHM benefits only the big farmers. One -fourth

(25.00 percent) of the respondents and another

18.33% strongly agree and agree in this study that

NHM increase hope for small scale fruit processing

industries. About 23.3% and another 18.33% of the

respondents in this study strongly agree and agree that

NHM is a boon for small and marginal farmers in the

study area. Our policy makers, Horticultural scientists,

Extension professionals need to work together to

further simplify the existing NHM procedures, reach

the unreached through increasing proper publicity,

set up new food processing industries in rural areas,

assist small and marginal farmers in adapting high

cost inputs and make NHM a boon for small and

marginal farmers of our state and nation.

REFERENCES

Krunal Gulkari. (2011). The attitude of Beneficiaries

towards National Horticulture Mission, M.Sc.

(Ag.) Thesis, Anand Agricultural University,

Anand.

Mankar, D.M. Wankhade, P.P and Shambharkar, Y.B.

(2013). Impact of National Horticulture Mission

on its Beneficiaries. International Journal of

Extension Education. 9: 72-80. DOI:10.54986/

irjee/2022/jan_mar/134-137

in North and Middle Andaman District of

Andaman and Nicobar Islands. M.Sc. (Ag.)

Thesis. Professor Jayasankar Telangana State

Agricultural University, Hyderabad.

Seema Yadav, K.C. Sharma, J.P. Yadav and Vikas Kumar.

(2022). Impact of national horticulture mission

on the status of beneficiary farmers in Rajasthan

district of India. Indian Research Journal of

Extension Education. Vol. 22, No. 1, 134-137.

DOI: 10.54986/irjee/2022/jan_mar/134-137

Farmers Toward National Horticulture Mission in

Haryana. Indian Journal of Extension Education.

59(1): 162-135. DOI:10.48165/IJEE.2023.59135

Mokesh, S. (2024). A Study on the Socio-economic

impact of National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

on Horticulture farmers in Krishnagiri District,

Unpublished M.Sc. (Ag.) Thesis, Department

of Agricultural Extension, Annamalai University,

Annamalai Nagar.

Latha .M. (2015). Impact of National Horticulture Mission

Bas Kaur and Subhash Chander. (2023). Attitude of