Ergonomic evaluation of rural women in Post- Harvest activity of agriculture
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Date
2020
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DRPCAU, Pusa
Abstract
For a long time, women have been the pillars in rice production globally. In India, Women in rustic areas have played important role and have made a remarkable contribution in post-harvest activity of paddy crop. According to (FAO, 1995) told that women are the backbone of the rustic economy in the developing world given the key role they play in contribution towards food security or rustic female workers produce lumpsum 50% of the total world food. Agriculture is an important engine for economic growth and a vigorous driver of poverty reduction in developing countries. (As per Census,2011) women workforce in agricultural and allied sectors is 98 million, which is 37% of full wage worker. According to the ADRI, Bihar agricultural sector is highly feminized with 50.2% of the total workforce in pre-post-harvest activity. Women performed almost all the agrarian activities from sowing to harvesting or post-harvest activity of crop. Post-harvest activity like cutting, drying, threshing, storing, cleaning almost all are done by rustic women and these agrarian tasks is consider as drudgery prone activities. It is often seen that some rustic female worker busy continuously in agrarian activity 6-9 hours in a repetitive or static position and it can affect the female body health in a badly way. Due to continuously engaged in agrarian task it can harm the muscles of rustic female workers. Agrarian task can affect physically, mentally and health related problem for rustic female workers. The main reason of their sufferings is lack of knowledge or ignorance about technology and continuously worked in field in a bad posture, practices.
Research was conducts on rustic female workers group with objectives and compared between groups to assess the physiological work load and muscles related pain (MSD). The Research was conducted in Samastipur district under the Bihar state. There are 38 districts in Bihar state and Samastipur district is one of 38 districts of Bihar state. The selected districts also boast of a Dr.
Rajendra Prasad central Agricultural university Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. From each selected village 30 female workers were choose by experimental was conducted on control group i.e. fifteen female workers from both the selected villages or further information were collected by the help of interview schedule method.
The aim of this research is to estimate the ergonomic evaluation of rural women in post-harvest activity of agriculture. Keep in view the objectives of the research, related information was collected pertaining to socio-economic description and anthropometric description of female workers, ergonomic analysis, physiological problem or hazards during post-harvest activity of agriculture paddy crop. For the analysis of the research suitable formula and method was applied i.e. Percentage, mean, standard deviation and Levene’s test applied for getting accuracy of the results.
The result of the research is highlighted that socio- economic profile of rustic women in daily and non-daily basis group was found different. In daily basis worker group majority of interviewees (36.6%) found in 20-30years age. While in non-daily basis group a greater number of interviewees (36.6%) was seen in 40-50 years category of age. Whereas in a Daily group maximum interviewee (66.6%) had in nuclear family and in non-daily worker group (60%) interviewees had in joint family type. Under daily worker group is concerned maximum interviewees (46.6%) had in middle family size. In case of non- daily workers interviewees (46.6%) had in middle family. Whereas in daily basis worker group vast majority of interviewees (53.3%) were illiterate and in non-daily basis group maximum interviewees (33.3%) were in primary school. In case of daily basis group maximum interviewee (46.6%) had medium family education but in non-daily workers group majority of interviewees (40%) had medium family education. In case of daily workers group a greater number of interviewees (50%) had their income under Rs/-5000-10000 while in non-daily group (33,3%) interviewees had their income under below-Rs/- 5000. In daily worker group a greater number of interviewees (60%) were not member of any organization while in non-daily basis worker group majority of interviewees (46.6%) were member of one organization. Under daily basis worker maximum interviewees 20 were working for 3-6 hours or in case of non-daily basis workers group maximum interviewee 22 were engaged 0 to 3 working hours.
The result of the research clear that the anthropometric description of the female workers engaged on daily basis or non-daily basis was found different. In Daily basis workers group maximum interviewee (53.3%) were under the range of 145 to 155 body height and in the case of non-daily group maximum interviewees (60%) were in the range of 145-155 height. Whereas in daily basis worker group majority of interviewees (56.6%) had in the range of 50-60 kg body weight but in non-daily basis group (40%) interviewees had under in the range of 60-70k.g. body weight. In Daily worker group majority of interviewees (50%) were under normal BMI. While in non-daily basis workers group maximum interviewee (46.6%) were found in normal BMI. In daily basis group majority of interviewees (56.6%) were under pre-hypertension of S.B.P. and in non-daily group a greater number of interviewees (50%) were in pre-hypertension category of S.B.P. Under daily worker group maximum number of interviewees (50%) were under hypertension stage 1 in D.B.P. or in non-daily worker group maximum interviewees (60%) were under pre-hypertension in D.B.P. Whereas daily basis workers group maximum number of interviewee (60%) were in the range of 80-100 pulse rate. While in non-daily basis group maximum number of interviewees (50%) were in the range of 80-100 pulse rate.
The Levene’s test was applied to comparison between daily and non-daily basis workers group.
The results pertaining to ergonomic evaluation of rustic women showed physiological data daily basis worker group. In daily worker group majority of interviewees average energy expenditure was higher in cutting (8.066), threshing (8.63) than non-daily basis group cutting (8.575), threshing (8.63) respectively. In daily basis group total cardiac cost of work in cutting (164.4), threshing (59.11) and physiological cost of female worker were found to be cutting (548.1), threshing (191.1) while in non-daily basis group TCCW in cutting (36.4), threshing (58.22) and PCW in cutting (121.4) , threshing (188.8).
The result pertaining the posture inclination which indicated that the daily basis workers group was under medium risk category and non-daily worker group was under low risk category during cutting and threshing activity of paddy crop.
The result pertaining the physical, environmental and accidental problem during post-harvest activity of paddy crop. It was clear from the result that daily basis worker faced many problems than non-daily basis group due to continuously work.