Farmers’ Attitudes towards Custom Hiring Centers: Evidence from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, India

Abstract

Aims: India is a predominantly agricultural country, where major breakthrough in agricultural production has occurred through the agriculture mechanization. The current study aimed to assess the attitude of farmers towards custom hiring centers. Study Design: Descriptive research design was adopted for the investigation. Place and Duration of Study: The study was undertaken in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana States. Two erstwhile districts namely Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts in Telangana state and Tikamgarh and Guna districts in Madhya Pradesh were selected for the study. The study was undertaken for two years between 2021 to 2023. Methodology: Multistage random sampling technique is followed for the study. The districts were the four selected Custom Hiring Centers models (Govt, FPO, NGO and KVK) in operation those districts were selected. One Custom Hiring Center representing each model were selected in both the districts thus making a total of 8 Custom Hiring Centers in Telangana state and 8 Custom Hiring Centers in Madhya Pradesh state, thus, making a total of 16 CHC for the study. Results: Majority of the respondents had neutral attitude (53.13%) towards Custom Hiring Centers in Telangana state. Most of the respondents (48.75%) had favourable attitude towards Custom Hiring Centers in Madhya Pradesh state. Recommendation: Farm mechanization has the potential to significantly revolutionize agriculture in India by providing a means of increasing farm output, bolstering livelihoods, and guaranteeing food security.