Role of farm women in agriculture and its allied systems for employment generation and farm income under irrigated and unirrigated ecosystem of Jammu district
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Date
2021-02
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Jammu, J&K
Abstract
An investigation entitled, “Role of farm women in agriculture and its allied systems for employment generation and farm income under irrigated and unirrigated ecosystem of Jammu district” was conducted in Jammu districts of J&K (U.T) during the agricultural year 2019-20. Farm women in agricultural sector are very active as agricultural farmer, cultivators and house makers. To select the sample three blocks were selected from unirrigated area viz. Khour, Akhnoor and Dansal and irrigated area viz. R.S.Pura, Bishnah and Marh. Six blocks were selected purposively on the basis of highest area sown under different major cereal crops. From each block, two villages were selected randomly and from each village 10 farmers were selected randomly to constitute a sample size of 120 farmers in total. The primary data were collected by interviewing the farm women directly through pre testing schedule while secondary data was collected from published sources/agencies, online websites, International and national publication of Research Journals. For computing cost and returns, the concept framed by CACP was used like Cost A, B & C and to study the relationship between output and various inputs, for this Cobb Douglas production function was used. In irrigated area the results revealed that the per hectare total cost of cultivation for Rice and Wheat was ` 34,947.60 and ` 35,286.79 on overall basis, in which operational cost constitute 62.26 per cent for Rice and 63.83 per cent for Wheat whereas fixed cost constitute 37.74 per cent for Rice and 36.16 per cent for Wheat overall. The per hectare cost structure revealed that cost C2 in rice and wheat was highest ` 35435.67 and ` 39618.23 for R.S.Pura block with an overall average of ` 34947.60 and ` 35286.79 in all three blocks. In irrigated area gross return ` 1,47,141.00 /ha and ` 62,471.37/ha for rice and wheat whereas net return ` 112193.40/ha and ` 27184.58/ha for rice and wheat overall basis. The cost benefit ratio was found be highest in both R.S.Pura and Marh block (1:4.25) for rice whereas for wheat (1:1.87) highest in Marh block with an overall ratio 1:4.21 and 1:1.77. In unirrigated area the results revealed that the per hectare total cost of cultivation for Maize and Wheat was ` 24826.30 and ` 33353.64 on overall basis, in which operational cost constitute 60.61 per cent for Maize and 55.04 per cent for Wheat whereas fixed cost constitute 37.74 per cent for Maize 39.39 per cent and 44.96 per cent for Wheat overall. The per hectare cost structure revealed that cost C2 found be in maize and wheat was highest ` 26,174.41 and ` 35,612.22 for Akhnoor block with an overall average of ` 24,826.30 and ` 33,353.64 respectively while the net return was found to be highest in case of maize and wheat was ` 32,597.59/ha and ` 15,822.23/ha for Akhnoor block with overall average of ` 30859.12/ha and ` 13884.41/ha. In unirrigated area gross return ` 55,685.42/ha and ` 47,238.05/ha for Maize and Wheat whereas net return ` 30859.12/ha and ` 13884.41/ha for Maize and Wheat overall basis. The cost benefit ratio was found be highest in Dansal block for both maize and wheat (1:2.33) and (1:1.42) with an overall ratio (1:2.24 and 1:1.42). In irrigated area resource use efficiency of irrigation and human labour was found positive and significant at 5 and 1 per cent level respectively which indicated the sub optimal use of these resources which could be increased for greater returns. Whereas in unirrigated area human labour, fertilizer and manure and seed were found positive and significant at 5 per cent level which clearly indicated that more use of human labour, fertilizer and manure and seed could increase the yield by employing more units of these inputs. The economics of livestock rearing showed that the total cost per animal per day was ` 176.55 and gross returns per animal per day were ` 247.40 leaving a profit margin of ` 70.85/animal/day. Resource use efficiency of labour in livestock rearing was found positively significant at 1 per cent level of probability which indicated that one per cent increase in the value of labour keeping all other factors constant would increase the return to milk production and in case of green fodder and miscellaneous items were negative at 1 and 5 per cent level of probability which indicated excessive and uneconomical use of this inputs. Women got on an average 112.99 days of employment during Kharif season and 109.09 days of employment during Rabi season which accounted for 46.50 per cent and 44.90 per cent of total employment in crop calendar year. Women got only 20.88 days of employment in agriculture in Zaid season as this is the off season and they were unemployed for 101.12 days during this season. During Kharif and Rabi season they were unemployed for 40.01 days and 99.61 days respectively. Alternative sources of employment of farm women in agriculture are laboure, domestic work, shop, harvesting of crop in nearby area, vegetable crops in months of January, February, March, April, and May. The most recommended suggestion of respondents to overcome the problem of unemployment of farm women in agriculture are provision of SHG activities enhancing their knowledge about agricultural activities and new agricultural tools. Overwhelming majority of farm women had taken decision related to harvesting and post harvesting activities and intercultural operations. Nearby majority farm women had taken decision with family about policy decision and crop protection whereas decision with husband in case of land preparation and intercultural operation. No decisions were taken by farm women regarding selection and dose of bio fertilizer for seed treatment in sowing practice activities. The constraint faced by farm women irrigated ecosystem was non availability of credit on time with Garret score 98.50 (ranked I) and in unirrigated ecosystem was low price of the output with (GS 99.60 ranked I). Government policies should be framed to provide legal supports and build confidence in farm women. Programmers and organization should be developed exclusively for farm women so there is imperative need to provide vocational training to make them aware about their unfelt needs and improving their status in agriculture activities.
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preferred for your work: Sneha, K. 2020. Role of farm women in agriculture and its allied systems for employment generation and farm income under irrigated and unirrigated ecosystem of Jammu district, M.Sc. thesis, SKUAST-J, Chatha.