Extent of Involvement of Farm Women in Different Dairy Farming Activities in Semi-Arid Rajasthan

The present study was conducted in two block namely Govindgargh and Amber of Jaipur district in Rajasthan. Multistage random sampling were used to identify the cases. A total 120 farm women from eight villages were selected for the study. Data were collected with the help of pre-tested and formulated interview schedule by personal interview method. Analysis of data revealed that 65.0 percent works related to care after parturition and 36.67 percent works related to attend the animals at the time of parturition was performed by farm women. Other activities like taking to the animals for Artificial insemination/natural service, taking animals for pregnancy diagnosis, sell and purchase of animals and calling the veterinarian during dystokia were less performed by farmwomen. These activities were performed by male members of the family. Among identified feeding practices involvement of farm women ranging from 76.25 to 96.67 percent. Maximum involvement (96.67%) of farm women was in feeding concentrate to the animals followed by watering to the animals (92.50%), feeding fodder to the animals (84.17%), cutting and bringing the green fodder and grasses from fields (83.33%), chopping of green fodder (80.83%), boiling/soaking of concentrate (76.25%), and mixing the green fodder with roughages (75.83%). The farm women actively involved in cleaning of shed (84.58%), spraying of litter in winter season in the shed (81.25%), dispose off dung (77.08%) and protection of animals from adverse climatic conditions (47.08%), whereas only 12.92% involvement was in construction of animal shed. Farm women performed 92.50% works of milking to the animals followed by preparation of milk products i.e. ghee and lassi (91.67%), washing of milk utensils (84.58%), whereas sale of milk to dairy cooperatives was less performed (14.58%) in the study area. Farm women actively participated in care of newly born calf (69.58%), care of sick animals (66.07%) and care of pregnant animals (59.58%), whereas involvement in taking animals for vaccination (7.50%), taking animals for treatment (11.25%) and calling to veterinarian for treatment to sick animals (6.25%) were less performed, these activities performed by male members of the family. Overall involvement of farm women in feeding practices, general management practices, milking practices, housing practices, health care practices and breeding practices were 84.23, 75.42, 70.83, 61.08, 36.39 and 21.04 percent, respectively.