Present investigation was carried out to assess the training needs of goat farmers of Punjab by randomly selecting 240 goat farmers from all the six agro-climatic zones of Punjab state (40 farmers from each zone). The goat farmers were personally interviewed with the help of interview schedule at their doorstep. A total of 69 questions related to feeding, housing, breeding, health and management and miscellaneous practices were compiled. Data analysis revealed that knowledge indices about various farming practices in different agro-climatic zones of Punjab were significantly different at P< 0.05, suggesting that knowledge about different goat farming practices varies from one agro-climatic zone to other. The ranking order for feeding, housing, breeding, health and management and miscellaneous practices for Punjab were IV, I, II, III and V. The reported training need order of Punjab is housing, breeding, health and management, feeding, miscellaneous practice, and for order I, II, III, IV and V. The present study brings light to the fact that knowledge level and training needs varies from one zone to the other. The training need assessment of goat farmer belonging to a particular area should be carried out first before organization of extension activity related to goat farming.
The study was undertaken to assess the impact of training on knowledge level of dairy farmers of Punjab regarding incidence of various transitional diseases and on management, breeding and feeding practices during transitional period. A structured interview schedule was made for interviewing 250 dairy farmers of Punjab, India. Among the transitional diseases incidence of anoestrous, mastitis, retained placenta, repeat breeding, metritis, milk fever, dystokia and ketosis were 59.6%, 52%, 38%, 30%, 22.4%, 18%, 14.8% and 10.4% respectively. Special dry feed feeding, special mineral mixture feeding and conception rate at dairy farm was found to be significantly associated (p<0.01) with training. Particular diseases like metritis and repeat breeding were significantly associated (p<0.05) with training. However, parameters like dry period, normal calving, heats missed after calving were found to be non-significantly different between farmers who has taken training and not. But, the awareness perceived by the farmers after training in relation to feeding, breeding, management and health status was significantly higher during transitional period as compared to the farmers who did not undertake any training. So, proper coverage of topic on management of dairy animals during transitional period is must for making a training programme effective. Also, still more awareness and extension activities on transitional period management are the need of hour. The extension machinery should be constructed in such a way that it provides a bridge between scientists/researchers and dairy farmers for successful implementing the training programme for transitional period.
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