Women Friendly Improved Farm Tools and Implements for Commercialization

Human power plays a great importance in agriculture system since agrarian and they are involved in various farm operations. Hence in the design of farm tools and equipment, everything known about operator is very important, as they have to work with the designed/developed equipment. It is reported that many agricultural projects aimed at men with the assumption that they will some how automatically benefit women though the ergonomical characteristics of women are different than men workers. The contribution of women is very high in the farm sector as they are involved in majority of farm operations and are therefore subjected to extra harsh conditions of work that leads to drudgery. Introducing women friendly improved farm tools and equipment can reduce drudgery in farm operations. Benchmark study conducted in Madhya Pradesh regarding involvement of farm women in agriculture and allied activities revealed that the adoption level of improved farm tools and equipment w.r.t. its operation, was 4.78% which is quite low. Keeping this in view, based on ergonomic studies 20 hand operated improved farm tools and equipment namely, hand ridger, seed treatment drum, CIAE fertilizer broadcaster, CIAE seed drill, PAU seed drill, Naveen dibbler, TNAU four row paddy drum seeder, CRRI two row and four row rice transplanters, twin wheel hoe, cono weeder, improved sickle, groundnut stripper, groundnut decorticator (sitting and standing type), tubular maize sheller, rotary maize sheller, cotton stalk puller (wheel type), OUAT pedal operated paddy thresher, CRRI paddy winnower and CIAE hanging type grain cleaner with sack holder was found suitable for farm women to perform various farm operations. In addition to this, groundnut stripper was also found very good equipment during demonstration for custom hiring. Thus, these equipment have potential for commercialization so that same may be provided to farm women for increasing efficiency and reducing drudgery.