Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate socio-economic impact of papaya cultivation, nutritional contributions; papaya production, economic empowerment to farmers with resources to secure household necessities.

Materials and Methods: Using interviews and observations, primary data was gathered from 60 papaya growers across two tehsils, Nandurbar and Shahada, located in the Nandurbar district.

Results: The findings indicated that 75% of the growers were in the middle age group (34–51 years), 80% had education at or above the graduate level, and 78.33% were part of joint families. Regarding their livelihood, 61.66% relied on farming alone, while 28.33% combined farming with animal husbandry. 51.67% of growers had very large land holdings, and 35% reported high annual incomes (Rs. 4,00,001 and above). Additionally, 65% cultivated papaya on up to 3 hectares of land, 45% had extensive farming experience (21 years or more), and 65% had moderate experience in papaya farming (6–10 years).

Conclusion: It was concluded that information sources, 50% of the growers relied on a medium level of personal sources, 86.67% obtained information from farmer fairs, and 85% occasionally gained knowledge from exhibitions or study tours.

Statistics