International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
AS Patel, Dr. JJ Mistry, AB Dhola and VG Tala

abstract
Indian agriculture is grappled with post-harvest losses, and it is mounting 18.00% for vegetable. Availability of cold storage solves this issue to a great extent. Potatoes are a semi-perishable crop. Unlike cereal grains, potatoes cannot be stored from one crop year to the next due to physiological deterioration. However, like many vegetables and fruits, potatoes can be stored for several months without serious loss of quality. This characteristic of the potato has enabled it to become available in markets year-round. Potato being perishable crop, requires special facilities for its storage. Potato cold storages are one of the links between producers to consumers that create another choice of market and price discovery. The perception and attitude of potato growers towards cold storage facilities play important role. Thus, this study was undertaken. Multistage random sampling technique was followed for selection of the potato growers. Banaskantha, Gandhinagar and Arvalli district were purposively selected because of having highest number of the cold storage. Out of the each selected districts two talukas were purposively selected. Five cold storages were randomly selected from the each selected taluka. From each selected cold storage, ten potato growers who used the cold storage facility were selected randomly. Thus, total 300 potato growers were selected as sample size. Out of fourteen variables education, potato farming experience, cold storage facility experience, social participation, land holding, annual income, extension contacts, mass media exposure, economic motivation, risk orientation and scientific orientation had positive and significant relationship with perception towards cold storage facility. While, age and innovativeness had a non-significant relationship with the perception of the potato growers towards cold storage facility.