KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION TOWARDS GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES: A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LEAFY VEGETABLE CULTIVATION IN KALUTARA DISTRICT

Abstract

This study attempted to investigate the farmers’ knowledge and adoption towards Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for leafy vegetable cultivation. Bandaragama Divisional Secretariat of Kalutara District was selected as the study area by considering the significant number of target population scattered in the area. A hundred re spondents were selected randomly out of 320 leafy vegetable growers in the study area. Data were collected by employing an interview schedule with systematic observation. Farmers were aware of GAPs. Nevertheless, their adoption level was low to moderate level due to practical issues of the implementation of GAPs. There was a posi tive correlation of knowledge and adoption (r = 0.862, p = 0.01) indicating that a high level of adoption to the GAPs by the knowledgeable farmers. Therefore, appropriate training and knowledge programmes need to be im plemented to increase the adoption level. Further, the low level of adoption of GAPs was observed and the reasons might be farmers' negative attitudes toward the implementation of GAPs, negligence and low investment ability to practice GAPs activities. Therefore, relevant private and public institutes have to pay great attention in this re gard. And also, it can be suggested that the public and private sectors’ helping hand is required to transform farmers as agripreneurs to run an agribusiness enterprise with maintaining high-quality standards through effec tive and efficient supply chain managemen