IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF PRODUCTION, PROTECTION AND MARKETING PROBLEMS FACED BY THE RICE GROWERS

Rice occupies a conspicuous place in agricultural crops. It is cultivated in at least 114 countries of the world. Total world rice production in 2007-08 was 420,618 thousand metric tones. In Pakistan, rice is the third largest crop in terms of area and is cultivated over an area of about 2.6 million hectares with the production of about 5.54 million tones and an average yield of 2117 kg/ha. The present study was conducted in Tehsil Hafizabad, District Hafizabad to identify and prioritize the production, protection, and marketing problems faced by the rice growers. Out of 20 rural union councils, five were selected randomly. From each randomly selected union council, two villages were randomly targeted to select the sample respondents. From each selected village fifteen farmers were selected at random. There by making a total sample size of 150 respondents. The data was collected through a validated interview schedule. The data obtained was analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Timely unavailability of fertilizers, high prices of inputs and expensive labour for nursery transplantation were perceived to be the top most problems faced by rice growers and fell under very high category, while lack of finance and shortage of labour during transplantation were perceived to be high regarding production problems. High prices of pesticides, adulteration in fungicides and expensive labour for plant protection measures were perceived to be the top most problems and fell under very high category, while nonavailability of fungicides when needed and adulteration in pesticide were perceived to be high regarding protection problems. Monopoly of middle men, late payments by the dealers and high carriage and other handling charges were perceived to be the top most problems and fell under very high category, while lack of storage facilities and distant markets were perceived to be high regarding marketing problem faced by rice growers.