Impact of Family's Vegetable Cultivation on the Nutritional Status of Rural Garo Women

The objective of this study was to do a comparative analysis of the nutritional status of the farming and non-farming communities. In order to meet the objective, fifty one farmers and fifty one non-farmers/ non-vegetable growers were randomly selected from three villages from the West Garo Hills district. A questionnaire was prepared to ascertain their food consumption pattern, dietary intake and farming practices. After statistically analyzing the data, it was revealed that there was no significant difference in the food and nutrient consumption, anthropometric status (height and weight) of women belonging to farming and a non-farming family. The communities need to be educated in the importance of consuming adequate amounts of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables. The only way to combat the high incidence of anaemia in the population is to increase the iron intake, which was found to be way below the RDA. The farmers can also be encouraged to increase their production of vegetables, so that it not only increases the family income but also increases their intake.