Title: ASSESSING CAPACITY GAPS FOR ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE AGROECOSYSTEMS

Authors: Anamika Sharma, Kiran Rana and Amardeep Chauhan

Publisher: The President, Society of Extension Education Gujarat

Keywords: capacity need assessment, sustainability, agroecology, farmer empowerment

Volume: 40

Issue: 2

Year: December 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56572/gjoee.2025.40.2.0011

Abstract: This study examines capacity gaps among farmers in the North-Western Himalayan region of India, focusing on Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand. Using a multistage sampling method, data were collected from 347 respondents engaged in rice-wheat-vegetable based production systems. Capacity need assessment (CNA) was conducted across five domains i.e., knowledge, technical skills, finance and market access, social and leadership abilities, and accessibility to resources. The results of one-sample t-tests revealed substantial and statistically significant deficits across all indicators when compared to the desired benchmark of 5. In Jammu & Kashmir, mean scores for the five domains ranged from 1.34 to 2.15, while in Uttarakhand they ranged from 1.19 to 1.79 with all gaps highly significant (p < 0.01). The most critical weaknesses were observed in social and leadership capacities and accessibility followed by finance and market linkages, whereas technical competence showed relatively smaller but still significant gaps. The overall CNA mean score (3.01) further confirmed systemic deficiencies across both states. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions through knowledge reinforcement, technical training, financial inclusion, leadership development and improved access to institutional and infrastructural support.