Analysis of the Quality of Services Provided by the Public Sector to Enhance the Sugarcane Productivity in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The study was undertaken to explore the awareness level of Sugarcane Growers (SGs) regarding the Quality of Services (QSs) provided by the government. For this purpose, district Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) was selected purposively as the universe of the study because it is major sugarcane growing area among all districts of Punjab. All the tehsils of the district RYK were selected for the study. The primary data were collected from 343 sugarcane farmers' personal interviews. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings indicated a huge difference in awareness of the government interventions among SGs and the level of adoption. This implies that QSs provided by the government to support the SGs was not up to the mark. This study urges awareness campaigns among farmers to make them aware about QSs provided by Public Sectors (PS) to farmers. Integration of sugarcane production strategies and holistic efforts (from all stakeholders) are required to minimize the sugarcane production challenges and enhance the sugarcane productivity and income of the growers. Furthermore, cost-effective irrigation systems, bank loans, efficient extension systems, subsidies on inputs and mechanization are recommended to improve productivity and enhance the profitability of farmers.