IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH PLANT HEALTH CLINICS: INSIGHTS FROM COTTON GROWERS IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.3774Resumo
Present study was designed to determine the effectiveness and impact of Plant Health Clinics (PHC) on improving agricultural productivity of cotton in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The study was conducted in two districts (Multan and Khanewal) of Punjab province of Pakistan being the leading cotton producing areas. Sample size of the study was 354 respondents using structured interview schedule for data collection. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used for the interpretation of data. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were middle-aged. Most respondents had low educational attainment. The majority of respondents (58.2%) owned 11–15 acres of land. Most respondents (38.7%) relied on fellow farmers as their primary information source. Half of the respondents (50.3%) accessed the service fortnightly. Farmers largely agreed that Plant Health Clinics improve knowledge and awareness and make agricultural information more accessible, while the ability to diagnose pests and diseases and being a cost-efficient activity showed highly significant associations, whereas aspects like linking stakeholders and inclusivity were less strongly supported. Plant Health Clinics are progressive hub for information sharing among farmers to improve their productivity, therefore the government should initiate massive PHCs for agricultural productivity.
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