Abstract
The succinct aim of this study was to investigate the participation in agricultural activities and problem confrontation in crop cultivation of the Garo farmers of Madhupur Garh forest. As predictor variable six personal and three in each of economical, social and psychological characteristics of Garo farmers were selected to explore their effects and contributions on participation and problem confrontation. Data collected during January to June 2004 through interview schedule from 250 randomised respondents of 10 villages from two forest unions of Madhupur Upazila revealed 63 percent of Garo farmers had medium and 20 percent high participation. All most cent percent (99%) of farmers had medium to high problem confrontation in crop cultivation. Participation in 40 items of agricultural activities revealed top 20 API were intensively crop related in four aspects of agriculture. Problem confrontation on 75 problems indicated top 20 PCI were intensively crop input related in all four aspects of crop cultivation. Out of the 15 selected Garo farmers' characteristics 12 in participation and 8 in problem confrontation were significant in linear correlation at five-percent level. Firstly, the relevancy of 15 characteristics verified on contribution (R ≤0.01) and 10 percent significant level revealed 9 in participation activities and 8 in problem confrontation as relevant variables. Secondly, the confirmed relevant characteristics tested at five-percent significant level revealed only 5 in participation and 7 in problem confrontation as significant characteristics those were entered in prediction model.
Agricultural participation model constituting with the five significant characteristics - farm size, credit received, adoption of modern agricultural practices, community activities and extension communication exposure had R2 = 0.387 with intercept, 15.29 as very low marginal participation comparing to mean value 41.20. The five relevant characteristics having positive regression coefficients (b's) improvise significant role on participation increase. The community activity provides the highest 0.184 out of 0.387 and the farm size, 0.084 and extension communication exposure, 0.079 contributions on increasing participation. Problem confrontation model of the seven significant characteristics - age, family size, annual income, farm size, credit received, adoption of modern agricultural practices, and community activities had R2 = 0.428 with intercept 191.85 as the start-up problem in crop cultivation against the mean value 156.10. The negative regression coefficients (b's) of age, farm size, annual income and credit received impart positive effect on reducing problem confrontation and the annual income contributes 0.172 out of the adequacy 0.428 of whole model. But the larger family size and active role in community activities for positive effects impede in reducing the problem confrontation.