Identifying Constraints to Dryland Farming: A Study of Technical, Socio-personal, and Financial Barriers in Drought Prone Area of Andhra Pradesh, India

Dryland farming is a crucial agricultural practice in many regions, but farmers face various constraints that hinder its adoption. This study investigated the technical, socio-personal, and financial constraints faced by dryland farmers in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. A survey of 120 farmers revealed that technical constraints were the most severe, with insufficient availability of water (226 - I) and non-availability of quality seed in time (208 - II) being the top two constraints. Socio-personal constraints, such as illiteracy (188 - II) and inability to accept new practices (186 - III), were also significant. Financial constraints, including high cost of inputs (212 - I) and delay in sanction of loans (200 - II), were also major concerns. Friedman test results showed a significant difference between the different constraints (p < 0.001), with technical constraints having the highest mean rank (2.40). Wilcoxon signed rank test results revealed significant differences between technical and socio-personal constraints (p = 0.009) and financial and technical constraints (p = 0.001), but not between socio-personal and financial constraints (p = 0.321). These findings highlight the need to address technical constraints to improve adoption of critical interventions in dryland farming.