A study on socio economic aspects and constraints faced by banana growers in Khagaria district of Bihar

The present study titled “A Study on Socio-Economic Aspects and Constraints Faced by Banana Growers in Khagaria District of Bihar” aimed to assess the socio-economic conditions and challenges faced by banana growers in Khagaria district. The study was conducted in Gogri block, where purposive and random sampling methods were employed to select respondents. The majority of the respondents belonged to marginal and small farm size categories, with fewer respondents in semi-medium, medium, and large categories. A higher proportion of respondents were young, followed by middle-aged individuals, and the smallest group was elderly. Regarding education, 28% of the respondents were illiterate, and 72% had varying levels of literacy. The study revealed that most respondents were male and lived in nuclear families. In terms of income, the majority earned less than one lakh annually, followed by those with incomes between one and two lakh. The study also highlighted significant marketing constraints, with long distances to markets, heavy losses, price fluctuations, high transportation costs, lack of minimum support prices, inadequate credit facilities, and the perishable nature of bananas being the primary challenges. An unorganized marketing system and the presence of numerous intermediaries were also identified as key factors impacting the banana marketing process. These constraints were ranked based on their severity, emphasizing the need for improvements in infrastructure, market information systems, and financial support to enhance banana growers' profitability and overall well-being.