Generation of farmers’ contemporary innovations and re-inventions in Saurashtra region

Innovation is a crucial factor in driving agricultural development. Local innovations developed by farmers have significant contribution in enhancing agricultural productivity and protecting their rights. There are lots of innovative farming practices, including farm implements, plant varieties, and low-cost technologies for processing and packaging farm products made by the farmers. A study was conducted in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. A total of 163 farmer innovators were considered as a sample. The research revealed that all the innovations and re-inventions went through the first two stages of the Innovation Development Process. However, more than half of them (52.76%) got stuck in the R&D stage, while only a small percentage (7.36%) made it to pass all the other stages. About one-third of the innovations (31.29%) reached stage IV without passing through stage III and also progressed to stage V. Moreover, 8.59% of the farmers' innovations and re-inventions directly reached stage V from the second stage. The characteristics of the respondents like research-extension contact, mass media exposure, creativity, scientific orientation, research orientation, achievement motivation, self confidence and progressivism had positive and highly significant relationship with their generation of contemporary innovations and re-inventions.