Assessment of Livestock Production Technologies and Package of Practices through Multivariate Typology: A Case of Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out in four different agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra. A typology was developed applying multivariate statistical techniques i.e. Cluster analysis (CA) to classify groups of farm households with similar farm characteristics into four homogenous clusters, (i) households possessing small landholding, a larger high yielding dairy stock with small goat flock size (37.5%), (ii) households having small landholding with a small stock of high yielding dairy animal and small goat flock size (39%), (iii) households having large landholding with large high yielding dairy stock and small flock size (13.5%) and (iv) households possessing small landholding with small high yielding dairy stock and large flock size (10%). An assessment in terms of awareness, knowledge and adoption of dairy technologies and goat production practices were carried out across the clusters which was found significantly high within the household of cluster 3 and 4. The overall adoption index was found to be 65.16 per cent across the whole clusters. Multiple regression analysis revealed that total SAU, flock size, occupation, innovative proneness, scientific orientation, awareness of technology and knowledge of technology contribute positively (P<0.01, P<0.05) to the adoption of technology. The coefficient of determination was found (R2 =0.66) across the whole clusters