Prof (Dr) R.D. Gupta
Of late, there has been a growing realization with regard to the role and participation of women in national development and agricultural economy. Women’s participation in economically productive activities is not new but is as old as agriculture came to fore about 10,000 or 12,000 years ago. It is believed that women’s share as labour hours is increased disproportionately to that of men. They constitute almost half of the agricultural labour force and contribute more towards family income. However, their role in agriculture mainly depends upon the size of the land holdings, their class and caste. The extent of women’s participation also varies according to the local cropping pattern and whether the agricultural activities are mechanized or labour intensive. In large farm families, women generally do not work in the fields but their work load increases due to handling of produce in large quantities and super vision of the hired labourers. They also advise their men about the matters related to farming. The younger women in the families do not generally participate in decisions making. With economic mobility in the effluents, there is an alteration in the status of women. With drawn from the field work, the women’s work load has not reduced has but become more home based.
Farm Operations of Men and Women
Although some of the operation as are defined as gender specific such as preparation of land, application of fertilizers, use of pesticides being done by men, yet operations like transplanting, weeding, compost making, storage are mostly done by women.
Occupational Distribution of Women
The main areas of economic activity for rural women include agriculture labour and as cultivators. Farming, livestock, forestry, fisheries, plantations, orchards, mining and quarrying etc; provide work for about 90% of women workers of which 40% are cultivators and 50% are agricultural labourers. Although the contribution of rural women in agriculture is well recognized yet they are still lagging behind in the latest agricultural technological transfer programmes. In order to enlist the potential involvement of farm women to augment agricultural production, their access to necessary agricultural technology vis-à-vis availability of credit, input supply and marketing facilities has to be implemented at all levels.
Latest Agricultural Technology
Some of the very important measures to be adopted with regards to the transfer of technology in rural women are as follows:
Generation of appropriate agricultural technology in research stations of state Agricultural universities/ICAR stations and its modification after conducting trials in the farmers fields by various extension organizations in respect of its methodology and suitable approach become imperative for enabling rural women to have an access to this technology.
As certain operations such as transplanting, weeding, compost making, seed storage are mainly done by the women so technologies on the aforesaid areas are required to be built up strongly.
Training and visit system must be fully employed to assist women farmers in respect of agriculture and allied technologies. Such technologies must be emphasized using various methods and media.
Access of rural women in institutional credit and input supply can be increased by motivating them to enroll themselves in cooperatives.
Women who keep cattle or goat and poultry, involve themselves in cleaning and feeding. Thus, trainings on feeds and fodders, is very essential to make them aware of introducing improved grasses in the grass lands like Anjan grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) orchard grass (Ductylis glomerata) and Desmodium spp.
Most of the women prefer village as venue of training, hence one to three months duration of training and afternoon hours are preferred for organizing training programmes. Winter months especially December, January, February are mostly preferred for organizing training programmes.
As majority of total milk producers in dairy villages report lack of knowledge of scientific animal feeding and preservation practices as the main constraints on these lines for farm women, will prove an asset by way of playing crucial role in Indian economy.
Low quality forage a major constituent of ruminants ration, especially in tropics causes indigestibility due to slow rate of microbial break down which results in nutrients loss in their dungs. Such dungs produce lower quality of manures. Hence, necessary trainings to increase the digestibility of low quality forages is required to be imparted to farm women in biotechnologies.
The application of new biotechnological methods in livestock industry have already generated a number of products for improving milk and meat production, animal health and food processing and will definitely continue to do so. Rural women are also required to have awareness among themselves about vegetables cultivation techniques vis-à-vis mushroom cultivation bee keeping and organic farming. While dealing with organic farming the role of vermicompost, vermi wash, green manuring should be dealt in details as well as use of organic pesticides.
While imparting trainings to rural women, one should take into consideration “Teaching by doing and learning by doing”, which are considered the main principles governing modus operandi under RAWE (Rural Agriculture Work Experience).
More women training programmes are needed to be exerted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Development Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). A recent evaluation from Madhya Pradesh suggested that due MGNREGA works taken up on lands of small farmers including farm women, cultivated area of these households increased by 15%.
Increasing the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of small farms involving women is an area where Information Communication Technology can make a significant contribution. This technology must also include judicious use of fertilizers and pesticides to various crops besides other areas. Tell the farm women with regard to the significance of soil testing, so that they may be able to apply fertilizers on the soil test basis.
As farming involves risks and uncertainties with farming facing many threats from poor soils, climatic short falls, erosion and pests, so key improvement stem from information about pest and diseases control, especially warning systems, new varieties, new ways to optimize production and regulations for quality control.
Whereever, it is possible Agribusiness centres are required to be set up involving the rural women. The main objectives of Agribusiness centres are to provide employment to agricultural graduates to supplement the efforts of Government Agricultural Departments in extension system.
Since the use of Information Communication Technology is still a new and rapidly changing area so there is a dire need to raise awareness among governments stake holders and the international donor community on the potential of this technology. Ensure availability and access to relevant information especially to farm women.
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