Agriculture Update

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Technological Needs Perceived by Farm Women in Sorghum Production


Affiliations
1 Hyderabad (A.P.), India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Farm women in our country have limited access to technological advice, as extension programmes tend often to transfer agricultural technical information to men and focus on home technology for women. In the process only male farmers are linked to the agricultural scientists ignoring the importance for the need for knowledge and experience of women in technology design, development and evaluation. The present study, therefore, envisaged to identify the technological needs of farm women in sorghum production to develop need based technologies. The study was conducted in semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh. Data were collected from 256 farm women from 8 villages. Technological needs were defined as technologies which the farm women require to carry out the various farming activities in the most efficient manner without any strain on their part. Technological needs were identified using the rank based quotient (RBQ) method. The farm women perceived the following technological needs for sorghum production activities. A simple device to sow seeds, as sowing is a skillful and tiring activity, low cost easily operable winnowers that reduce physical fatigue, possibility of altering the harvesting time as it is very sunny and high stalks of sorghum cause suffocation, mechanism that protects from dust during winnowing as it causes soreness in the mouth, modify/redesign sickles to prevent minor injuries, improvising the (''gorru'') seed drill as hands were hurt while pouring the seeds and mechanical weeders that reduce physical fatigue.

Keywords

Farm Women, Technological Needs, Need Based Technology.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Banafar, K.S. and Marothia, D.K. (1990) She fills the rice bowl yet. Intensive Agric., 28(4):28-31.

  • Greame, Quick (1991) Ultra light rice transplanter can make life easier for women. Indian Farm., 41(3):29.

  • Jain, D. (1996). ''Valuing work : Time as measure. Economic & Political Weekly, 31 (43): WS 46-57 (pp. 48-49).

  • Kantor, P. (2008). Women's exclusion and unfavorable inclusion in informal employment in Lucknow, India: Barriers to Voice and Livelihood Security. World Develop., 37(1): 194-207.

  • Kanwar, Promilla (2003). Drudgery perceived by gender in hill farming. Indian J. Extn. Edu., 39(3&4): 183-187.

  • Kapadia, K. (1993). Mutuality and competition: Female landless labour and wage rates in Tamil Nadu. J.Peasant Stud., 20(2): 296-316.

  • Kapadia, K. (1995). The profitability of bonded labor: The gemcutting industry in rural South India. J. Peasant Stud., 22(3): 446-483.

  • Sabarathnam, Ve and Vennila, S. (1996) Estimation of technological needs and identification of problems of farmers for formulation of research and extension programmes in agricultural entomology. Exp. Agric., 32: 87-90.

  • Sharma, S., Nagar, S. and Chopra, G. (2007). Household responsibilities of adolescent girls in Kangra and Kullu districts in Himachal Pradesh. Anthropologist, 9(3): 199-201.

  • Singh, Premlata, Jhamtani, A., Srivastava, R., Bhaduria, C., Rahul and Shekar, D. (2003). Occupational health hazards in agriculture perception of farm women. Indian J. Extn. Edu., 39(3&4):178-182.

  • Singh, R. and Sengupta, R. (2009). The EU FTA in agriculture and likely impact on Indian women. Consortium for Trade and Development (Centad) and Heinrich Boll Foundation, INDIA.

  • Singh, S. (2003). Contract farming in India: Impacts on women and child workers. Internat. Instit. Environ. & Develop. Gatekeeper Series, 111, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.

  • Mehra, R. and Rojas, M.H. (2008). A significant shift: Women, food security and agriculture in a Global Marketplace," International Center for Research on Women p.2. citing Focus on Women and Food Security. FAO. available at www.fao.org/focus/e/women/sustine.htm.


Abstract Views: 382

PDF Views: 2




  • Technological Needs Perceived by Farm Women in Sorghum Production

Abstract Views: 382  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

Amtul Waris
Hyderabad (A.P.), India

Abstract


Farm women in our country have limited access to technological advice, as extension programmes tend often to transfer agricultural technical information to men and focus on home technology for women. In the process only male farmers are linked to the agricultural scientists ignoring the importance for the need for knowledge and experience of women in technology design, development and evaluation. The present study, therefore, envisaged to identify the technological needs of farm women in sorghum production to develop need based technologies. The study was conducted in semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh. Data were collected from 256 farm women from 8 villages. Technological needs were defined as technologies which the farm women require to carry out the various farming activities in the most efficient manner without any strain on their part. Technological needs were identified using the rank based quotient (RBQ) method. The farm women perceived the following technological needs for sorghum production activities. A simple device to sow seeds, as sowing is a skillful and tiring activity, low cost easily operable winnowers that reduce physical fatigue, possibility of altering the harvesting time as it is very sunny and high stalks of sorghum cause suffocation, mechanism that protects from dust during winnowing as it causes soreness in the mouth, modify/redesign sickles to prevent minor injuries, improvising the (''gorru'') seed drill as hands were hurt while pouring the seeds and mechanical weeders that reduce physical fatigue.

Keywords


Farm Women, Technological Needs, Need Based Technology.

References