Socio-Economic, Socio-Personal and Demographic Profiling of KVK-Based Vermicompost Training Participants: Evidence from Bihar, India

Abstract

Vermicompost is essentially a varied blend of decomposed farm waste, food waste, and worm castings, organically produced using different species of earthworms. This nutrient-dense organic fertilizer is gaining significant attention amid climate change concerns and the push for organic farming. Agricultural experts are increasingly advising farmers to transition from synthetic fertilizers to organic manures, prompting the need for training programs on vermicomposting to educate farmers about this valuable practice. This research aimed to examine the socioeconomic, demographic, and socio-personal characteristics of farmers who participated in three recent vermicomposting training sessions organized by three Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Bihar, India. This study adopted cross sectional survey design. The rationale behind this part of the project is to understand the various attributes of the training participants which could contribute in different ways to the adoption of vermicomposting. It also sought to reveal the status of those variables in relation to the adoption scenario amongst the current farming communities in those three districts. The study was carried out in three districts of Bihar—Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, and Madhubani—with a sample size of 150 farmers. Surveys were conducted in two blocks from each of these districts, selected purposefully. Data analysis was performed using statistical tools in SPSS to calculate the index for each individual farmer. A varied socio-demographic profile of the respondents was revealed who participated in the KVK-based vermicomposting training and it also provided a snapshot of the farming communities of the specific regions. This analysis concludes that the training sessions at three different KVKs attracted a diverse group of farm participants, characterized by varying demographic, socioeconomic, and socio-personal attributes. It is noteworthy that the majority of farmers who attended the vermicomposting training programs were small-scale and marginal farmers, with only a small percentage having high income levels. It is recommended to encourage stakeholder farmers to adopt this technology by providing training and support tailored to their socio-demographic profiles, as this could potentially increase the adoption rate among farmers.