Suitability Analysis of Farm Technologies as Perceived by Farm Women

摘要

The involvement of women in agriculture is as old as the advent of agricultural practices in the world. Women are intensively involved in all the farm operations. However, women's involvement and participation are not always 'visible' as compared to the 'visibility' of men. Moreover, the technologies are said to be gender neutral. The study was taken up with the objective of assessing the suitability of paddy farming and dairy management technologies as perceived by small farm women. Sample size of 60 wet land farm women were selected using proportionate random sampling technique. Technology suitability index was developed to assess the suitability of the paddy and dairy management technologies. The findings on suitability of paddy farming technologies as perceived by wet land farm women, showed that out of thirty four technologies, only three technologies viz., thinning, gap filling and grading the seeds by using sieves were found to be highly suitable by cent per cent of the respondents. Technologies like application of pre-emergence herbicide by using sprayer, spraying herbicide mixed with water in high volume sprayer, application of insecticides by using sprayer and draining the water from field were perceived as not suitable by the farm women. Twelve dairy management technologies expressed as highly suitable by the respondents were feeding the animals, making curd, butter and ghee, delivery and after care, care of new born calves, rearing of calves, taking animals to pasture lands, preparation of cattle feed, care of pregnant animals, collection of fodder by using sickle, providing water for animals, cleaning the cattle shed and care of sick animals.