B L Dhaka

K Chayal

CiteSeerX

Indian  Res. J.  Ext. Edu.  10 (2), May, 2010 109
Analysis of Role Performance of Women in farm activities
K. Chayal1 and B. L. Dhaka2
1. SMS (HSc. Ext.),  2. SMS (Agril.Ext.), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bundi, Rajasthan
Corresponding author e-mail:: kesarchayal@yahoo.co.in
ABSTRACT
Women play a significant and crucial role in agricultural development and allied fields. It is most unfortunate that
the role of women in agriculture has not highlighted. By and large they have remained invisible workers. Therefore,
efforts were made to analyze the work performed by women in agriculture. The study was undertaken in Bundi
district of Rajasthan. A total of 200 farm women selected as respondents through proportionate random sampling.
The selected respondents were interviewed personally using pre-tested well structured interview schedule. The
data were analysed using appropriate statistical tool. The findings showed that cutting, picking, cleaning of
grains, drying of grains, storage, processing, weeding, winnowing are the major farm operations mainly performed
by farm women. Participation of farm women in agriculture was significantly affected by socio-economic variables
like –age, family income, land holding.
Keywords: Participation of farm women, Role performance, Invisible workers
It is not an exaggeration, that women in India are
the backbone of food security. Women are playing a
significant and crucial role in agricultural development
and allied fields including crop production, livestock
production, horticulture, post harvest operation, agro/
social forestry, fisheries etc. There is a greater
involvement of women under various agricultural
operations along with house arrangement out of the total
329 million hectares geographical area of the country,
net shown area is 142 million hectare. It is estimated
that women are responsible for 70 percent of actual
farm work and constitute up to 60 percent of the farming
population. But it is most unfortunate that the role of
women in agriculture has not highlighted. By and large
they have remained invisible workers. Over the years
women cultivators are typically and wrongly
characterized as economically inactive and women
cultivator play only a supportive role in agriculture as
farmers’ wives (Samanta; 1994).  Keeping the above
background in mind an attempt was made to analyze
the participation of women in farming operations.
METHODOLOGY
The study was undertaken in Bundy district of
Rajasthan, to analyse the participation of women in ag-
riculture. The population of study consisted of farm
women involved in agriculture and allied activities. A
sample of 200 farm women was selected through pro-
portionate random sampling. Selected respondents were
interviewed personally using well structured pre tested
interview schedule. The amount of work done by farm
women in various farm activities was found by using
the following criteria score category and the mean
weighted score was found out for individual farm ac-
tivities.
Amount of work done
Category Score
Least 1
Less than half 2
More than half 3
Major 4
Complete 5
Data thus collected were analyzed using
appropriate statistical tool to infer results.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The socio-economic characteristics of related
respondents were analyzed and presented in Table 1.
110 Indian  Res. J.  Ext. Edu.  10 (2),  May, 2010
The Table 1 depicts that majority (52.5 %) of the
respondents belonged to middle age group followed by
young age (30 %) and old age (17.5 %) group. It was
also revealed that majority (60%) of respondents were
belonged to nuclear family and followed by (40 %) were
from joint family. Result on family income shows that
majority (44.5 %) of respondents were belongs to
income group Rs. 60000-90000 followed by (27.5 %)
income group below Rs. 30000, (25%) income group
Rs. 30000-60000 and (3%) income group above Rs.
90000 annually. Results on cast categories indicate that
maximum (45%) were from other backward class and
(42.5%) were from schedule tribe category and rest of
respondents (7.5%) were belonged to schedule class.
While looking at their educational status, results revealed
that   majority (57%) respondents were illiterate, (35%)
were literate and (5%) were from primary level (2.5
%) were from middle level and only (0.5 %) were
graduate. Result on land holding depicts that majority
(42.5%) were had medium scale land followed by small
(37.5%) scale land and only (20%) had large scale land.
The participation of selected respondents in farm
activities was analyzed and presented in Table 2. The
data in  Table 2 reveals that cutting, picking, cleaning of
grains, drying of grains, storage and processing are the
major farm operations wherein women participation was
100 percent.  Singh et.al. (2004) also reported that
the farm operations in which the participation of women
was100 percent were cleaning the produces, cutting,
picking, storage and processing. It was observed that
winnowing, weeding, gap filling, grading, shifting produce
to threshing floor and cleaning of field farm operations
in which the participation of women was more than 75
percent. The tasks in which women participation was
varied between 50-75 percent were thrashing, raising
nursery for seedlings and thinning.  The results also show
Table 1. Socio personal characteristics of respondents
(N=200)
Variable Categories N %age
 Age Young  (<30) 60 30
Middle (31-40) 105 52.5
Old       (>40) 35 17.5
Type of family Joint family 80 40
Nuclear family 120 60
Annual family
income (Rs.) Below 30,000  55 27.5
30000-60000 50 25
60000-90000 89 44.5
90000& above 6 3
Caste General 10 5
OBC 85 42.5
Schedule caste 15 7.5
Schedule tribes 90 45
Education Illiterate 114 57
literate 70 35
Primary 10 5
Middle 5 2.5
Graduation 1 0.5
Land holding Small 75 37.5
Medium 85 42.5
Large 40 20
Table 2. Participation of farm women in farm activities
(N=200)
S.No. Farm activities N %age
1. Ploughing of field 4 2
2. Cleaning of field 170 85
3. Leveling of field 10 5
4. Raising nursery for seedling 110 55
(okra, chilly, tomato, pea)
5. Sowing 51 25.5
6. Transplanting 41 20.5
7. Mannure application 65 32.5
8. Fertilizer application 2 1
9. Weeding 151 75.5
10. Thinning 121 60.5
11. Gap filling 161 80.5
12. Irrigation 52 26
13. Plant protection measures
(Insecticide, pesticide used) 0 0
14. Cutting 200 100
15. Picking 200 100
16. Shifting production to 179 89.5
threshing floor
17. Threshing 100 50
18. Winnowing 190 95
19. Drying of grains 200 100
20. Cleaning of grains 200 100
21. Grading 180 90
22. Storage 200 100
23. Marketing 0 0
24. Processing 200 100
Indian  Res. J.  Ext. Edu.  10 (2), May, 2010 111
that sowing, manure application and irrigation were
performed on field by women 25 to 32.5 percent. Least
involvement of farm women was found in ploughing of
field (2%) and in fertilizer application was (1%). There
was no participation of women reported in marketing,
plant protection measure.
The data in Table 3 shows that the transplanting,
drying of grains, cleaning of grains and processing were
major farm activities which were completely done by
farm women. Similar results were reported by Singh
et.al. (2004). The farm operations including cleaning
of field, raising nursery for seedling ,weeding, gap fill-
ing, picking, shifting production to threshing floor, win-
nowing, storage& grading  in which major amount of
work  done by farm women. They do more than half
work of sowing, thinning, and manure application.   The
farm women do less than half work of irrigation, cut-
ting and threshing operations. In case of ploughing of
field, leveling of field, and fertilizer application least
amount of work was performed by women.  Choudhary
and Singh (2003) also reported that the role of women
in ploughing of field, application of manure and ferti-
lizer was found to be very less. The work was also not
done in marketing and plant protection measure by farm
women.
Efforts were made to find out the relationship if
existed between the personal variables of women with
their participations. Table 4 depicts that women age
was negatively correlated with agriculture operations.
Obviously the young aged farm women are more prone
to change. Their physical strength enables them to
perform more agriculture activities. The findings are
supported by Choudhary and Singh (2003). Type of
family, education level, caste were found non significant
with women participation in agriculture. It is also shows
by data that land holding and family income were also
effects the participation farm women in agriculture
activities significantly.
Table  4. Relationship of personal variables of women with
their participation in agriculture activities (N=200)
S. No. Personal variables Coefficient of
correlation “t”
1 Age - 4.76*
2 Type of family 1.28 NS
3 Family income 2.13 *
4 Land holding 3.63 *
5 Education level 1.4 NS
6 Caste 1.08 NS
* Significant at 5 percent level of significance
NS - Non significant
CONCLUSION
The present study concludes that the women play
an significant and crucial role in agriculture and allied
fields. Research showed that farm women’s
participation was maximum in Cutting, Picking, cleaning
of grains, drying of grains, storage , processing
operations and major part of cleaning of field, raising
Table 3. Amount of work done by farm women in various
farm activities (N=200)
S.No. Farm activities Work done
(MWS)
1. Ploughing of field 1
2. Cleaning of field 4.9
3. Leveling of field 1
4. Raising nursery for seedling 4.5
(lady finger, green chilly,
tomato,  cauliflower)
5. Sowing 3.4
6. Transplanting 5
7. Mannure application 3.5
8. Fertilizer application 1
9. Weeding 4.21
10. Thinning 3
11. Gap filling 4
12. Irrigation 2
13. Plant protection measures 0
14. Cutting 2.9
15. Picking 4
16. Shifting production to 4.9
threshing floor
17. Threshing 2
18. Winnowing 4.5
19. Drying of grains 5
20. Cleaning of grains 5
21. Grading 4.1
22. Storage 4.59
23. Marketing 0
24. Processing 5
MWS = Mean weighted score)
112 Indian  Res. J.  Ext. Edu.  10 (2),  May, 2010
nursery for seedling ,weeding, shifting production to
threshing floor, winnowing, & grading operations are
also done by farm women . In case of leveling of field,
fertilizer application they do least amount of work,
whereas there is no participation of farm women in
ploughing of field, plant protection measures and
marketing activities. The study also depicts that  age,
family income, land holding influence the women
participation in agriculture and the women participation
in agriculture. Type of family, education level, cast were
not effected by the women participation in agriculture.
 REFERENCES
1. Choudhary, H. and Singh, S. (2003). Farm women in agriculture operations. Agri.Ext.Rev. 15 (1):21-23.
2. Samanta, R.K. (1994). The reap less than show. The Hindu. April Issue,Chennai, India.
3. Singh, P.; Jhamtani, A.; Bhadauria, C.; Srivastava, R.; Singh, R. and Singh, J. (2004). Participation of women in agriculture.
Ind. J. Ext. Edu. 30 (3&4):23-27.


Analysis of role performance of women in farm activities

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=88FDA685234EF711CA7895C6A7E6DB1A?doi=10.1.1.1055.9009&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Analysis of role performance of women in farm activities

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

CiteSeerX