Dryland agriculture in Telangana is highly vulnerable to climate variability due to its semi-arid climate and heavy dependence on rainfall. Understanding the socio-economic and psychological characteristics of farmers is essential for designing effective climate adaptation and extension strategies. The present study was conducted in four highly climate-vulnerable dryland districts of Telangana namely Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Nagarkurnool during 2023-24. A descriptive research design with multistage sampling was adopted and data were collected from 240 farmers using a structured interview schedule.
The results revealed that a majority of farmers belonged to the middle-aged group, had primary to middle school education, small family size, medium farming experience and semi-medium to medium landholdings. Borewells and tubewells were the predominant sources of irrigation. Most farmers exhibited medium levels of extension orientation, mass media utilization, economic motivation, scientific orientation, risk orientation, management orientation and adoption of soil and water conservation practices. The findings provide a comprehensive profile of dryland farmers in climate-vulnerable regions of Telangana and offer baseline information for designing location-specific climate-resilient extension interventions.
International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development
