Participation of Farm Women in Animal Husbandry in Anand District of Gujarat

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1 Journal of Community Mobilization and Sustainable Development Vol. 6(2), , July-December, 2011 Participation of Farm Women in Animal Husbandry in Anand District of Gujarat Sangeeta Upadhyay 1 and C.P. Desai 2 1 Research Associate, NAIP, School of Agriculture, IGNOU, New Delhi Extension Educationist, EEI, Anand Agricultural University, Anand , Gujarat ABSTRACT Animal husbandry signifies as the second largest economical activity next to agriculture in rural areas. It provides employment and economic support to rural families. Many of the important tasks in animal husbandry are performed by women besides their responsibilities as home makers and caring of animals is considered as an extension of domestic activities. The role of dairy farm women is not recognized as economic contribution and they remain as unpaid labour. This study emphasized the participation of dairy farm women in animal husbandry occupation. The study was conducted in Anand district of Gujarat. Data were collected from 120 farm women using structured interview schedule. Study highlighted that farm women took independent decisions in the aspects of fodder management and milking whereas decisions in respect of economic aspects were taken jointly with their male counterparts. The participation was observed more in the aspects related to milking, feeding, health care and management, breeding and less in general aspect of animal husbandry. Key words: Farm women, Decision-making, Participation, Animal Husbandry INTRODUCTION Contribution of farm women in agriculture is likely to be around fifty to sixty per cent. Women play an important role in animal husbandry activities as manager, decision makers and skilled workers. They help in farm operations, take their animals for grazing, look after the sale of milk, and in addition, perform the functions related to house management. Rural woman contributes a share of more than 75 per cent in animal husbandry operations like feeding, milking and sale of milk. The prosperity and growth of a nation depends on the status and development of its women, as they not only constitute nearly half of its population, but also positively influence the growth of remaining half of the population. The livestock farming plays a significant role in accelerating the rural economical growth in the developing countries like India. Many of the important tasks in animal husbandry activities are performed by women besides fulfilling their responsibilities as home makers (Randhawa and Chandra, 1993). Caring animals is considered as an extension of domestic activities in Indian social system and most of the animal husbandry activities like bringing fodder from field, chaffing the fodder, preparing feed for animals, offering water to animals, protection of animals from ticks and lice, cleaning of animals and sheds, preparing of dung cakes, milking, ghee-making and marketing of produce are performed by farm women. Thus, involvement of farm women in farming activities is a common feature in Indian rural setting. Women perform a variety of roles, of which many are of greater economic significance (Bhopale and Palki, 1998). The role and contribution of women in dairying other than usual household responsibilities had been interpreted in social than economical pretext. Thus a study was conducted on participation of farm women in animal husbandry with the objectives to study the socioeconomic profile of farm women their participation in decision-making for animal husbandry practices and various aspect of animal husbandry occupation.

2 118 Sangeeta Upadhyay and C.P. Desai MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted in Anand district of Gujarat state. Anand district is comprised of eight blocks. Out of eight blocks in Anand district, one block was purposively selected for the present study. For this study, a list of villages was obtained from the Amul Dairy, Anand. Out of them ten villages viz. Sarsa, Napad, Bedwa, Chikhodra, Vadod, Samarkha, Kasor, Adas, Vehra Kheri, Gamdi were selected where larger number of farm women engaged in animal husbandry since last five year. 120 farm women were selected by the proportionate sampling method. The data of the study were collected by personal interview were then classified, tabulated and analyzed in order to make the findings meaningful. The interview schedule was prepared keeping in view the objectives of the study. Before, its actual use, it was pre-tested and translated into Gujarati. The independent and dependent variables were measured by using suitable scales and procedures adopted by various researchers. The statistical measures such as percentage, mean score, standard deviation and coefficient of Karl Pearsons of correlation were used. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Socio-economic profile of responding are presented in Table 1. From the table, it could be seen that threefifth (60.83%) of the farm women belonged to middle age group, followed by old (22.50%) and young (16.67%). The educational status reveals that most of the farm women had education up to secondary school level (43.35%), followed by higher secondary school level (24.17%), collegiate (15.83%), primary school level (11.67%) and illiterate (5.0%). Majority (68.33%) of the respondents were from joint family. About two-fifth (42.50%) of the farm women had farming and animal husbandry as major occupation for their livelihood. Nearly half (45.83%) of the farm women had family income up to Rs. 50,000/- annum, while per cent had Rs. 50,000/- to 1,00,000/- and the remaining per cent had income above Rs. 1,00,000/- per annum. In all per cent of the farm women were members of social organization. Further most of them had medium level of expenditure on dairy animals, mass media exposure and extension contact. From the Table 2 it can be interpreted that the aspects like fodder management, sale of milk and health care of animals were important areas where farm women play important role in decision-making. This might be due to the reason that in the study area farm women were involved in management of livestock sectors dominantly and guidance provided by AMUL and village milk producers dairy co-operative societies assist them. It is also evident that participation of farm women was least in the economic aspects i.e. taking loans, purchase and sale of animals and choosing animals for dairy. Because of traditional Indian culture, the decision regarding economics aspects have been taken by men. Moreover, farm women have less contact with progressive farmers, officials and banks also the reason of low level of involvement in related aspects of decision-making. The similar findings were reported by Toppo (2005). Table 3 presents the aspect wise participtions of farm women in animal husbandry. It reveals that the participation of farm women was maximum in aspects of milking and preparing milk products (rank I), followed by feeding of milch animals (rank II), health care and management of milch animals (rank III) and breeding of milch animals (rank IV). Least participation of farm women was observed in economic aspects of animal husbandry occupation. This might be due to the fact that males are engaged in field oriented/outside work. Hence, the farm women become responsible for the care and management of animal at home. The result also revealed by the findings of Narmatha et al. (2009) that actual doing by women are more in activities related to caring of animals and less in outdoor activities like marketing and selection of animals. The data reveals that overall participation of farm women in economic aspect is (86.67%). Participation was observed for selection of animals (92.50%), purchase and sale of animals (88.33%), in taking loans (83.33%) and insurance of animals (82.50%). The low involvement was found in finance activities might be due to their less involvement in outside work, less extension contact and had not much knowledge of officials. Regarding feeding of milch animals nearly cent per

3 Participation of Farm Women in Animal Husbandry 119 Table 1. Socio-economic profile of farm women involved in animal husbandry n=120 S. Variables Frequency % Mean Standard No. deviation 1. Age Up to 35 years to 50 years Above 60 years Education Illiterate Primary education (up to 8 th standard) Secondary education (8 th to 10 th standard) Higher secondary education (11 th & 12 th standard) College education Size of family Small family (up to 4members) Big family (more than 4 members) Social participation No membership Membership in one organization Membership in more than one organization Holding position in one organization Size of land holding Marginal Small Medium Big Expenditure on dairy Low (up to 1500/-) animals Medium (in between Rs. 1501/- to Rs. 3000/-) High (above Rs. 3000/-) Occupation Farming+ Animal Husbandry Faming + A. H. + Business Faming + A. H. + Business + Service Faming + A. H. + Business + Service Labour work 8. Annual income Low (up to Rs. 50,000/-) Medium (in between Rs /- to Rs /-) High (above Rs /-) Mass media Low (below score) Medium (in between to score) High (above score) Extension contact Low (below score) Medium (in between to 23.45) High (above Rs score) cent (95.00%) of the women were involved. The participation was noticed in preparing food mixture (98.34%), brining and cutting fodder (95.00%), purchase of food (94.17%) and grazing animals (92.50%). About 90 per cent of the farm women participated in breeding of milch animals. Nearly equal number of the women (91.66%) and (90.50%) participated in care at the time of calving and care of new born calf where as per cent were involved in selection of method of breeding. The activities are a part of their route in work of farm women. In health care and management aspects, per cent of the farm women were participated. They were engaged in grooming and brooming of animals (93.33%), treatment of animals form veterinary doctors

4 120 Sangeeta Upadhyay and C.P. Desai Table 2. Distribution of farm women according to their participation in decision-making under animal husbandry practices n= 120 S.No. Particulars Taking self Participation Not participation Mean Rank decision in decision in decision A. Economic aspects 1. Choosing animals for dairying VI 2. Taking loans VIII 3. Purchase and sale of animals VII B. Care and management 4. Fodder management I 5. Breeding practices in animals IV 6. Health care of animals III C. Milking 7. Sale of milk II 8. Preparation of milk products at V commercial level Table 3. Distribution of farm women according to their aspect-wise participation in animal husbandry n= S.No. Aspects Regular Often SometimesOccasionally Never Mean Rank Economics 30 (25.00) 28 (23.34) 25 (20.83) 21 (17.50) 16 (13.33) 2.29 V Purchase and sale of animals 30 (25.00) 28 (23.34) 26 (21.66) 22 (18.33) 14 (11.67) Selection of animals 32 (26.67) 29 (24.16) 27 (22.50) 23 (19.17) 09 (07.50) Taking loans 30 (25.00) 28 (23.34) 23 (19.16) 19 (15.83) 20 (16.67) Insurance of animals 28 (23.34) 27 (22.50) 24 (20.00) 20 (16.66) 21 (17.50) 2. Feeding of milch animals 56(46.67) 21(17.50) 19(15.83) 18(15.00) 06(05.00) 2.85 II Bringing & cutting fodder 57(47.50) 18(15.00) 20(16.67) 19(15.83) 06(05.00) Preparing food mixture 58(48.34) 20(16.67) 21(17.50) 19(15.83) 02(1.66) Purchase of food 55(45.84) 23(19.16) 17(14.17) 18(15.00) 07(05.83) Grazing animals 54(45.00) 23(19.16) 18(15.00) 16(13.34) 09(07.50) 3. Breeding of milch animals 44(36.67) 26(21.66) 24(20.00) 14(11.67) 12(10.00) 2.63 IV Selection of method of breeding 46(38.33) 27(22.50) 23(19.17) 10(08.34) 14(11.66) Care at the time of calving 42(35.00) 26(21.66) 22(18.34) 20(16.66) 10(8.34) Care of new born calf 44(36.67) 25(20.83) 27(22.50) 12(10.00) 12(10.00) 4. Health care & Management 52(43.34) 22(18.33) 20(16.67) 16(13.33) 10(08.33) 2.75 III Vaccinating animals 50(41.67) 23(19.17) 19(15.83) 17(14.16) 11(09.17) Treatment of animals from veterinary 54(45.00) 20(16.67) 21(17.50) 15(12.50) 10(08.33) doctors Grooming and brooming 51(42.50) 24(20.00) 18(15.00) 19(15.83) 08(6.67) Preparing gobar gas mixture 53(44.16) 21(17.50) 22(18.34) 13(10.83) 11(09.17) 5. Milking & preparing milk products 62(51.67) 23(19.16) 20(16.67) 12(10.00) 03(02.50) 3.07 I Milking the animals 58(48.34) 26(21.66) 22(18.33) 11(09.16) 03(02.50) Cleaning milk vessels 63(52.50) 22(18.34) 18(15.00) 15(12.50) 02(1.66) Sale through co-operative dairy society 66(55.00) 24(20.00) 22(18.34) 05(04.16) 03(02.50) Preparing milk products 61(50.83) 20(16.66) 18(15.00) 17(14.16) 03(02.50)

5 Participation of Farm Women in Animal Husbandry 121 (91.67%) and nearly equal number of (90.83%) in vaccinating animals and preparing gobar gas mixtures. Milking and preparing milk products per cent of the women were involved. They participated in activities like cleaning milk vessels (98.34%), equal number of (97.50%) milking the animals, preparing milk products and of the women involved in sale of milk through cooperatives. The wide network of cooperative society of AMUL in the Gujarat state facilitates the farm women. CONCLUSIONS Present study indicated that the farm women significantly contributed in animal husbandry occupation. Majority of the farm women were of middle age and had secondary education, slight more than twofifth of the farm women had farming and animal husbandry as their major occupation for their livelihood. Exactly two-fifth of the farm women had membership in co-operative society. Management aspect and milking had taken by female independently and economic aspects decision taken jointly. Participation was noticed more in the aspect of milking and preparing milk products, followed by feeding, health care and management. Less participation was observed in economic aspects of animal husbandry occupation. Low participation of farm women was observed in decision making about economic aspects where execution is carried out by them. So there is need to make them aware about financial regulation, loans and insurance of animals and marketing structure. Channels of information, credit, inputs and access to markets have to be aimed at women as they played a very important role in keeping and decisions related to livestock productions. The training programmes related to fodder management and scientific technology need to be organized for skill development of farm women so that their earning potential may be increased and improve the efficiency. Farm women should be encouraged regarding clean milk production and preparation of value added products so that productivity of milk and their income can be enhanced. REFERENCES Bhople, R.R. and A. Palki Socio-economic dimensions of farm women labour, Rural India, September- October, pp Narmatha, N.; V. Uma; L. Arun and R. Geetha Level of participation of women in livestock farming activities, Tamilnadu J. Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 5(1): 4-8. Randhawa, A. and S. Chandra Changing role of home science scientists in transferring farm technologies to farm women in agriculture, Paper presented at national seminar on Women in agriculture- development issues at NAARM. Toppo, A A study of participation and decision making of farm women in dairy occupation in Anand district of Gujarat state, M.Sc. (Agri.) thesis (unpublished), AAU, Anand. Upadhyay, S Participation of dairy farm women in animal husbandry occupation, Department of Extension Education, M.Sc. (Agri.) thesis (unpublished), AAU, Anand Received on January, 2011, Revised on June, 2011