Participation of farm family women in marginal homestead farming systems in the Thrissur district

Abstract

The study aimed at analyzing the nature and extent of participation of farm family women in agricultural operations and decision making in the identified marginal homestead farming system. The study was undertaken in three panchayats of Thrissur district namely Melur, Pananchery and Thekkumkara. From each panchayat, 50 homesteads were selected randomly. The female head of the family was selected as the respondent from each homestead. The dependent variables of the study were the nature and extent of participation of farm family women in agricultural operations and in decision making. These variables were quantified using measurement devices developed for the study. Twenty independent variables were selected for the study viz., age, education, farm size, family size, farming experience, extension participation, mass media participation, social participation, extension contact, knowledge about scientific crop production, knowledge about dairy/poultry management, attitude towards farming, level of aspiration, economic motivation, innovation, proneness, cropping intensity, achievement motivation, self-confidence, risk preference and information source utilization. All these independent variables were quantified with the help of available measurement procedures. The data were collected using pre-tested structured interview schedule prepared for the purpose. The statistical tools used were correlation analysis, categorization, multiple linear regression analysis, step down regression analysis and multivariate path coefficient analysis. The study revealed that coconut based homestead farming system is the predominant one in Thrissur district. Of this, coconut-banana-vegetable crop combination occupied the first position followed by coconut-banana –yams. Also most families have a variety of other enterprises, of which dairying occupied the first place followed by poultry. The nature and extent of participation of farm family women in agricultural operations of coconut was found to be ‘supervision only’ and that too ‘to some extent’ and in decision making they participated ‘jointly’ with their husbands. In the case of banana, they ‘only supervised’ many of the agricultural operations and it was also ‘to some extent’ and in the case of decision making majority ‘sometimes’ participated ‘jointly’ with their husbands. As far as vegetables are concerned, majority ‘solely’ participated to a ‘greater extent’ in the agricultural operations and ‘sometimes’ participated ‘jointly’ with their husbands in decision making. Regarding yams, majority participated in the form of ‘supervision only’ and that too to ‘some extent’, whereas they ‘sometimes’ participated ‘jointly’ with their husbands in decision making. Considering other enterprises like dairy/poultry, majority ‘solely’ participated to a ‘greater extent’ in the activities and in decision making they ‘always’ participated ‘solely’ in these areas. The results of correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, step down regression analysis and path analysis revealed that only seven independent variables namely extension participation, mass media participation, knowledge about scientific crop production, knowledge about dairy/poultry management, attitude towards farming, achievement motivation and self confidence influenced the nature and extent of participation in agricultural operations. Whereas the results of correlation analysis, multiple lenear regression analysis, step down regression analysis and path analysis revealed that only 8 variables influenced the nature and extent of participation of farm family women in decision making. They were mass media participation, extension contact, knowledge about dairy/poultry management, attitude towards farming, economic motivation, cropping intensity, achievement motivation and self confidence.