Knowledge of drudgery reducing technologies among the farmers

Introduction

Agriculture has important role in economy of India. Agriculture is the occupation of majority of people in India. At most of the places it is done by conventional methods. So that it is considered as drudgery prone. This perspective developed due to lack of modern technology, improved practises in daily working of agriculture. At most of the places farmers work manually which leads to wastage of manpower, time and money. Contribution of woman in agriculture is considerably very high. Out of India's three major farming communities male, female, and young only the group of the female farmers do over 60 per cent of farm related operations (Bindeshwari Pandro, 2020) [2] . The drudgery reducing technologies helps to prevent long term health issues and injuries. These technologies are important to reduce the time and physical effort required for essential tasks. This not only enhances farm productivity but also enables farmers to allocate more time for crop management and planning other allied activities. By increasing operational efficiency, these technologies can reduce production expenses and improve profitability, making agriculture a more sustainable livelihood. The Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani had developed drudgery reducing technologies like Cotton picking apron, Gopal khore, Revolving milking stool and stand, Janai hatmoje (Harvesting mitten), Trishul weeder, Sulbha Bag, Sonai Bag, Phuleri basket, Tikai Bag, Gauri Bag, digging tool Ukari and Nakhalya, wooden rake, Earthing up tool, multi-purpose tailoring table etc. All these tools alleviate physical strain and labour. By reducing the manual working and labour, these equipments allow the farmers to work on larger area in less time and more efficiently. This will indirectly help to reduce physical strain and retain the health. All India Coordinated Research Project (Women in agriculture) and College of Community Science, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani had developed various ICTs like mobile app in the name Technologies for farm women, blogs, YouTube etc to create awareness and increase the adoption level of drudgery reducing technology. Although the benefits are clear, the adoption of these technologies by farmers varies widely across different regions and demographic groups. Several factors impact adoption rates, including access to finances, educational attainment, the presence of technical support, and cultural views on innovation. Therefore, adoption of drudgery reducing tools has very much importance in Indian agriculture sector. By the way of awareness and training, farmers will adopt these technologies which indirectly performs so many beneficial functions. Therefore, the study aims to know the knowledge of drudgery reducing technologies developed by College of Community Science, www.extensionjournal.com Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, among the farmers to reduce drudgery along with increase working capacity and production.

Objective

To know the knowledge of drudgery reducing technologies developed by VNMKV, Parbhani among the farmers.

Methodology

The present study was conducted in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state during the year 2023-24 with the objective to know the knowledge of drudgery reducing technologies developed by VNMKV, Parbhani among the farmers. For the study, Parbhani district was selected from Maharashtra state as, the work of All India Coordinated Research Project (Women in agriculture), Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani was carried out in this district. Three tehsils from Parbhani district viz., Parbhani, Purna and Manwath were selected for the purpose of study as major work of AICRP (WIA) VNMKV, Parbhani was carried out in three talukas. Previously and currently adopted 10 villages were selected randomly from the respective talukas and 12 respondents from each village were selected randomly from the list of beneficiaries of AICRP (WIA) VNMKV, Parbhani constituting the sample size of 120. Ex-post-facto research design was used for the study. Data was gathered using a well-structured interview schedule. To interpret findings and draw conclusions, statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and coefficient correlation were used. The independent variables were age, education, size of family, occupation, land holding, annual income, extension contact, social participation, risk orientation, knowledge of drudgery reducing technology. Adoption was the only dependent variable. [3] and Vithalkar (2021) [8] .

Results and Discussion

Knowledge of drudgery reducing technologies

Conclusion

The usage of contact with extension agencies influences knowledge levels. The amount of how the farmers use these resources and retain extension associations is largely related to their understanding of drudgery-reduction technologies. As a result, most farmers have a medium level of knowledge, followed by a high level. Some farmers had low knowledge of drudgery reducing technology, suggesting a need for more extension efforts to improve knowledge and a lower response rate from farmers seeking information.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementI extend my special and heartiest thanks to my research guide, teachers, seniors and batchmates for their guidance, genuine interest, activeness and sharp insights. I deeply thank my beloved parents for their unwavering inspiration, continuous encouragement and steadfast support throughout my academic career.

References

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