Gendered analysis of constraints faced by the vegetable growers of Uttarakhand

Vegetable cultivation in hilly areas has been recognized as a profitable activity and it could be an alternative to subsistence farming in the hilly, marginal and rain fed agro-ecosystem. This paper aims to pinpoint the constraints the farmers face who are engaged in cultivation of vegetables. Major activities and operations like sowing/plantation, farm yard manure application, weeding, irrigation and harvesting were carried out by women farmers whereas male farmers were found to play a dominant role in decision making and they possess relatively more control over farm resources than women. To discover the most crucial constraints, Garret’s technique of ranking is used. Suggestions for addressing the constraints faced by vegetable growers in hills are provided.