Agriculture mechanisation should be women oriented,say experts

Noting that there is a need to invent agricultural machinery that helps women farmers,Dr Krishna Srinath,Director,Directorate of Research on Women in Agriculture,Bhubneswar,said,“The most labour-intensive works in agriculture are done by women,such as picking of crop,weeding and transplanting paddy. In many states,the percentage of women farm labour is as high as 43 per cent.”

Srinath was speaking at the two-day seminar on ‘Empowerment of Women: Emerging Challenges’. A research conducted by the College of Home Science,PAU,noted: “A majority of women farm labourers questioned by the researchers were middle-aged,illiterate and belonged to lower casts. They earned between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,600 per month and were paid much less as compared to their male counterparts. Many of these women began working when they were just 11 and contributed to the family for children’s education,health and medical care.”

The research also shows that these women performed activities like harvesting,transplanting,threshing,cleaning and grading,hoeing,weeding and faced several health problems like backache,headache and swelling of feet.

Srinath said,“The mechanisation of agriculture has made the task of men easy. Tractors and other machinery being manufactured these days are only for men. At our centre we are trying to develop such machinery that will be easily used by women. These machines are being designed keeping in mind the requirements of women.”