Diffusion of Scientific Shrimp Farming through Various Stages of the Adoption Period

Commercial shrimp culture has become to the mainstay of the coastal economy of India. The present study was undertaken among 120 shrimp farmers from the two predominant shrimp farming districts of the country. The aim of the study was to find out the various stages of diffusion of scientific shrimp farming through various stages of the adoption from 1997-2003, as well as to study the present adoption behavior of the shrimp farmers. Using a structured interview schedule each of the respondent was interviewed to know his stage of adoption of scientific shrimp farming in each of the year ranging from 1997 to 2003. The number of respondents in each stage of adoption in each of these years was worked out and expressed as percentages. The present adoption behaviour of the shrimp farmers was studied using the adoption quotient formula. The study revealed that the symbolic adoption and use adoption was high in the years 2002 and 2003 when more of the critical technologies of health and water management were developed and transferred to the target population. Practice wise adoption of the technologies revealed that the adoption behaviour was high in harvesting, pond bottom conditioning, pond bottom sterilization, liming of pond and feed management.