S. Bhattacharyya - Agricultural Extension, ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur-۴۴۰۰۳۳, Maharashtra, India.
R. K. Sonkar - Horticulture, ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur-۴۴۰۰۳۳, Maharashtra, India.
A. Saha - Indian Statistical Service, NSSTA, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Greater Noida-۲۰۱۳۱۰
P. Pakhmode - Young Professional-II, Agricultural Extension Lab, ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur-۴۴۰۰۳۳, Maharashtra, India
K. Banerjee - Scientist (Agricultural Meteorology), ICAR - Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Motihari-۸۴۵۴۲۹, Bihar, India
P. Roy - Research Associate, KAB-II, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi-۱۱۰۰۱۲, India
T. N. Roy - Agricultural Economics, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal-۷۳۶۱۶۵

The agricultural extension system of India has various kinds of service providers like state agriculture departments, universities, research institutes, Farm Science Centers and private players. This study was conducted in ۲۰۲۰ and attempted to explore the association between average annual net income earned from citrus cultivation and the source of availing citrus extension services through Correspondence Analysis (CA) method of ۳۰۰ citrus farmers selected from three districts in Maharashtra, India. The farmers with high income (۱۸۰۸.۳۱USD to ۲۴۱۱.۰۹USD/ha) received advisory services of the public research institute ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI) through either personal contact or electronic platforms. Awareness about CCRI services, source of seeking citrus cultivation related information, source of purchasing citrus planting material, using CCRI mobile app and website for citrus advisories, and contacting CCRI scientists for solving citrus farming related issues was found to have significant (P< ۰.۰۵) positive relationship with net income from citrus farming through Pearsons’ correlation coefficient, while cost of cultivation and orchard age had negative significant relationship. The multi-linear regression analysis, depicted cost of cultivation, awareness about CCRI services, source of seeking citrus advisories, and source of purchasing planting material had significant association with net income. The findings of correlation and regression thus emphasized the positive significant association of CCRI’s extension services to income from citrus farming. Identifying homogenous target groups of citrus farmers through Classification and Regression Tree (CART) method can serve as policy implication for extension service providers to deliver customized need-based advisories to target clientele.

Advisory services, Citrus growers, Correspondence analysis, Customization of extension services, ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute.