Decision-making Behaviour of Medicinal Plant Growers in Salem and Dindigul Districts

Abstract

Farm household today is constrained by shrinking net income, increased the cost of cultivation and uncertainty in prices. Hence this forced the farmers to switch over to Horticulture, Agroforestry and Sericulture. Consequently, in this backdrop, cultivation of medicinal plants is a new venture and has advantages when comparing between other crops. At this juncture, the decision-making behaviour of the farmers were studied in order to highlight their preference in decision making viz., making self-decision or by consulting with family members, relatives, progressive farmers, extension workers, traders in the field of crop shift, selection of variety, adoption of new practices, buy/sell land, post-harvest measures change in cropping pattern., to buy/sell land, for borrowing credit, marketing, to purchase equipment, for hiring labour and to start new enterprises.