This document summarizes an interview schedule used to identify agricultural problems in Janian Village, Punjab, India. Farmers were interviewed to understand their perspectives. Key problems identified included inadequate canal irrigation water, poor quality seeds and farm inputs, lack of proper marketing access forcing distress sales, inadequate storage facilities, crop losses from frost and pests, electricity issues, labor shortages, and animal diseases. The study area focuses on rice-wheat cultivation. Data was collected through interviews with 25 farmers to understand problems affecting agriculture and animal husbandry in the region.

1. Identification
of
Agricultural
Problems
Interview Schedule Method
Mandeep Pujara

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Identification of the important
agricultural problems

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Identification of the important agricultural problems as perceived by the farmers,
community leaders and village level extension functionaries using interview schedule
Village: “Janian”
District:AMRITSAR
State:PUNJAB
Hadbast Number 136
Patwar Halka Name, Janian
Kanugoi Halka Name, Janian
Vidhan Sabha Halka Code:14
Data collection method: Interview Schedule Method
This method of data collection is very much like the collection of data through questionnaire,
with little difference which lies in the fact that schedules (proforma containing a set of questions)
are being filled in by the enumerators who are specially appointed for the purpose. These
enumerators along with schedules, go to respondents, put to them the questions from the
proforma in the order the questions are listed and record the replies in the space meant for the
same in the proforma. In certain situations, schedules may be handed over to respondents and
enumerators may help them in recording their answers to various questions in the said schedules.
Enumerators explain the aims and objects of the investigation and also remove the difficulties
which any respondent may feel in understanding the implications of a particular question or the
definition or concept of difficult terms.

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Definition of Interview Schedule
A interview schedule is a interview with pre-coded question to produce quick, cheap and easy
quantitative data which is high in reliability but low in validity. These methods are favoured by
Positivists but shunned by Interactionists.
Construction of interview schedule
Since interview schedule is similar to mailed questionnaire in all respects step to be followed for
construction of the schedule, its structure and content are same to that of the questionnaire.
However, some of the important steps involved in construction of interview schedule are as
follows:
1.Determination of type of data needed
2. Determination of the respondents level
3. Instrument drafting
4.Evaluation of the draft instrument
The study has been conducted in the block Jandiala Guru Amritsar Punjab, in village “Janian”
for the year 2013, where paddy-wheat is the major crop rotation. From the selected village, 25
farmers were interviewed. The data from selected respondents were collected by interview
schedule method using a specially designed schedule..During the process the farmers identified
problems affecting agriculture and animal husbandry.

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Demography of the Village: Janian Village is a small village near the outskirts of the town of
Jandiala Guru. It is located approximately 2 km from the Jandiala. There is a body called the
Panchayat which is the basic unit of administration for the village. The village is a part of the
Jandiala Guru Block of the state of Punjab.
Population details: The current population of the village is 2958 people. This is a significant
increase from the census taken in 2001 .
Population in 1991 , 1682
Population in 2001
Total 2133
Male 1117
female 1016

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No. of Literates, 1118
Information on the population: The primary language spoken in the village is Punajbi.
No. of Families, 392
No. of SC Members, 149
Number of workers in agriculture
1991 172
2011 309
Number of workers in non agriculture
1991 296
2011 381
Area details of Village(in Hect.)
Area acc. to village 344
Area Under forest(hect) 0
Net sown Area 330
Gross area sown 662

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Area under different crop pattern (hect)
Wheat 259
Rice 270
Cotton 0
Sugarcane 2
Maize 0
Other cereals 5
Oil seeds 0
Area (hect) under Midterm Crops
Toria 2
Sunflower 2
Other(specify) 0
Area under Specific Crops
Medicinal Plants 10
other 0

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Irrigation Sources
Number of tube wells & pumping sets
Electric Operated Diesel Operated Additional Bores
44 17 10
Irrigated Area (Hect.)
Net Irrigated Area 330
Gross Irrigated Area 622
Area under Thur & Sem 0
Flood Affected Area 0
Ground Water Details
Level of Water (feet)
For drinking 110
For irrigation 150

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Agriculture implements
Number of agriculture implements
Tractors 10
Thrashers 9
Reaper 0
Combines(Harvester) 1
Combines(Tractor Operated) 0
Combines(Bio Gas Plants) 0
Village Leadership structure: There is a fully functional local panchayat that holds the
leadership position in Janain village. The head of the Panchayat is known as the Sarpanch. The
village is a part of the Jandiala Guru block, district Amritsar of the state of Punjab.
Occupation: The primary occupation of the residents of Janian village is agriculture. The
agricultural production includes paddy (rice), wheat ,sarson and some vegetables. A number of
about 50 people work outside of Janian village as labourer .Around 40 people are living in
foreign countries.
Schooling: There is a primary and middle schoolin the village. Students must go to a nearby
Village ot town to study secondary school. If a student wants to pursue further education and go
to college, he or she has travel to the nearest town or city. The nearest colleges are located in the
towns of Jandiala ,Tarntaran, Khadoor Sahib and Amritsar.

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Healthcare:There is sub centre and dispensary in the village. The minimum distance a person
must travel to receive proper healthcare is 3 – 5 kilometers in the town of Jandiala.
Availability of power: The village of Janian only receives 8 hours of power per day. There are
no forms of backing up this power, by any form of generators and other such equipment.
Community Projects:There are no NGO/Government initiatives that are ongoing in the village.
The villagers, however, take such initiatives positively and are enthusiastic about any such
schemes/projects.
Cooperative Institution
Number
Agriculture 0
other 1
Membership
Agriculture 50
other 36

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Field Visit for identification of agricultural problems

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Identified Agricultural problems :
1.Inadequacy Of Canal Irrigation Water
Canal channel is available in the village, problem of canal water flow is big problem as channel
is narrow and water does not reach in required volume from canal which is approximately 4-5
kilometer away from vlllage.
2.Inferior Seed Quality And Other Agri Inputs
Seed is a critical and basic input for attaining higher crop yields and sustained growth in
agricultural production. Unfortunately, good quality seeds are out of reach of the majority of
farmers, especially small and marginal farmers mainly because of exorbitant prices of better
seeds and lack of awareness about certified seeds especially for vegetable.
3.Lack Of Proper Agricultural Marketing
Agricultural marketing still continues to be in a bad shape. In the absence of sound marketing
facilities, the farmers have to depend upon local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their
farm produce which is sold at throw-away price.
In most cases, these farmers are forced, under socio-economic conditions, to carry on distress
sale of their produce. In most of small villages, the farmers sell their produce to the money
lender from whom they usually borrow money.
4.Lack Of Inadequate Storage Facilities
Storage facilities in the village is either totally absent or grossly inadequate. Under such
conditions the farmers are compelled to sell their produce immediately after the harvest at the

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prevailing market prices which are bound to be low. Such distress sale deprives the farmers of
their legitimate income.
5.Crop Loss Due To Frost (Wheat, Mustard And Pea)
Every year cop loss occurred due to frost as few people practice mulching and hitech agriculture
practices.
6.Termite Attack in Field
Few years ago ATMA Amritsar has organized termite eradication program undr PPP mode in
this area, farmers has requested extension functionaries to organize this type of program again in
this area .
7.Electricity Problem
8.Non Availability Of Labour
9.Foot And Mouth Disease In Cattle
10.Rat Attack
11.Low Availability Of Fodder
12.Pest Attack In Fodder
13.Lack Of Improved Fodder Varieties
References
Research Methods in Agricultural Extension ,MANAGE, Hyderabad
Binns, T., Hill, T. & Nel, E. (1997). Learning from the people: Participatory rural appraisal,
geography and rural development in the „new‟ South Africa. Applied Geography, 17, 1-9.
The World Bank Group (2002). Impact evaluation: Participatory rural appraisal (PRA).
Retrieved May 1, 2002 from http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/impact/methods/pra.htm

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Sample Interview schedule

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