Sustainability of Women Mushroom Growers and Its Impact on their Livelihood
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Date
2018
Authors
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Publisher
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur
Abstract
Mushroom cultivation has become an important agriculture activities contributing to the economy of our nation. It has proved to be a part of sustainable agriculture as mushroom farming today is being practiced in more than 100 countries and the production is increasing at an annual rate of 6-7 per cent. Present world production of mushrooms is around 3.5 million tonnes as per FAO statistics. In addition, mushrooms could potentially be very important in future food supplies and in new dimensions of sustainable agriculture. On the other hand sustainability of mushroom cultivation practice will make a woman self reliant which can improve the rural livelihood as the women are the backbone of Indian agricultural workforce. It has been observed that women have immense roles for mushroom cultivation as women can easily inculcate the training technology to grow mushroom. Besides mushroom cultivation require a small initial capital, small space, less input and low cost agriculture waste materials as substrate and all the activities right from spawn production of different species of mushroom can be practiced through out to the year. In India mushroom is known by various name like Kukurmutta, Khumbhi, Gobarchatta, Bhumiphor etc. At present scenario it has been observed that many of the women usually takes the training of mushroom cultivation but cannot practice it at regular basis due to some reason which is unknown. It means may be due to lack of skills of mushroom production, spawn is expensive, lack of awareness of benefits of mushroom consumption and the traditional believes in the community.
The study was conducted in Samastipur District of Bihar state. Samastipur is one of the thirty-eight Districts of Bihar in India. The District also boasts of a Central Agricultural University in Pusa, well known as Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. From each selected village 15 respondents were selected by snowball technique and further information were gathered with the help of personal interview schedule.
The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the women mushroom grower’s sustainability and its impact on their livelihood. Keeping in view the objective of the study, related information were gathered pertaining to socio- economic profile, involvement of women mushroom growers, knowledge, attitude and management practices of women mushroom growers and consequential constraints for their mushroom cultivation. For getting results of the study data were analysed by applying suitable formula and statistical method i.e. percentage, mean, standard deviation, coefficient of correlation were applied for getting accuracy of the results.
The result of the study indicated that the socio economic profile of women mushroom growers was found different. The study reveals that in case of women mushroom growers a majority of the respondents (56.67%) were young aged
(27-38 years). Maximum of respondents (26.67%) had received upper primary level education. More than half of the women mushroom growers (60%) were getting low income (Rs.50, 000-80,000). Maximum respondents (45 %) were engaged in business followed by 40 per cent were in farming in agriculture. The data pertaining to the caste indicates that a majority of the respondents were (65 %) belonged to Backward class. Maximum of respondents pertaining type of respondents (71.66%) family belonged to the joint family. Majority of the respondents having high family status (4.7-5.7) that is 43.34 per cent, 73.34 per cent of the respondents had small family size. Among the respondents the majority of them (40%) belong to the marginal farmers. Majority of the respondents (53.33%) of the respondents participated in SHGs groups, there was cent per cent respondents got training through various sources and majority of the respondents (48 %) doing their allied activities. A large majority of the mushroom growers (91.67%) were to be married.
Data pertaining to the training exposure of women highlighted that majority of the mushroom growers (56.66%) received training from RPCAU, Pusa. Maximum respondents (63.33%) got training on production of mushroom 35 per cent of respondents got training for 1 to 3 days. A majority of the respondents (58.34%) got training in year 2015-2018. A large number of women mushroom growers (71.67%) involve in supervision of various activities of mushroom by herself only. 75 per cent had medium level of knowledge. Maximum 73.33 per cent respondents had favourable attitude score ranging (16-19).Majority of respondents (73.33%) had favourable attitude score ranging (16-19). Some of the women were growing mushroom (53.33%) from September to March and running their units with the help of their family members and paid worker. A large number of respondents (58.33%) were giving up to 5 hrs for their household works which was followed by 25per cent respondents were giving up to 7 hrs. On an average, the entrepreneurs spent maximum time in implementation (1.50 hours/day) activities of mushroom cultivation.
Among technical constraints lapse in moisture level and controlled temperature and require adequate maintenance were noted as the main
technical constraints by the 98.33 and 35.00 per cent of women mushroom
growers respectively. A large percentage of respondents (98.33%)
expressed mushroom growers faced lacks of proper marketing channel.
A majority of respondents (86.66%) reported that mushroom cultivation
process is having low esteemed, wasteful and cumbersome activities.
Analysis of data related to the psychological constraints revealed that
cent per cent respondents expressed that the joint decisions were taken
for implementation of works. A large number of respondents (95%) expressed that mushroom cultivation marketing is generally the exploitation by middle men.
In mushroom cultivation majority of the respondents (65%) reported that mushroom is a good substitute of vegetables. Maximum of the respondents (68.34%) usually consumed balance food at their home. More than half of the respondents (68.33%) of women mushroom growers could not save their money regularly.
The correlation coefficient of fifteen selected independent variables co- related with two dependent variables. The results of sustainability highlighted that the analysis of result related to sustainability (dependent variable) revealed that independent variable i.e. Age (- 0.317)* came to be negatively significant at 5 % level of probability. Whereas land holdings (0.264)* came to be positively significant at
5% level. The results indicated that occupation (-0.414)** and size of family
(-0.407)** came to be negatively significant at 1 % level of probability. Whereas education (0.704)**, income (0.481)**, and training (0.485)** was came to positively significant at 1 % level of probability.
Further, findings of the study revealed the results related to livelihood (dependent variable) indicated that type of family (-0.259)*was found to be negatively significant at 5 % level of probability. Whereas Family education status (0.281)*, training (0.293)* and working hours (0.293)* were found to be positively significant at 5 % level of significance. While independent variables i.e. size of family (-0.383)** was found to be negatively significant at 1 % level of probability whereas income(0.754)**, land holdings ( 0.582)** were found to be positively significant at 1 % level of probability.
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