Contribution of Women in Homestead Agricultural Production in Rajshahi District of Bangladesh

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the extent of contribution of women in selected homestead agricultural activities viz. homestead vegetable cultivation, post-harvest activities, poultry raising, livestock rearing, tree plantation and fish cultivation. An attempt was made to explore relationships of 16 independent variables of the women with their contribution. The study also investigated the contributions as well as direct and indirect effects of the selected variables to women's contribution. Data were collected from a sample of 200 women of 4 villages from 2 unions of 2 Upazilas under Rajshahi District. Four villages were selected through multistage and stratified random sampling and populations were identified based on their landholding size in the study year. The farm families were categorized into marginal, small and medium farmer. Ten percent of the population was randomly selected from each category. Data were collected through interview schedule during .November 2005 to January 2006 by the researcher herself. The extent of contribution of women in ten items of each of the six selected homestead agricultural activities was measured through a three-point Likert type scale. A comparative contribution in ten selected items under each of the activities was computed using contribution index. Coefficient of correlation 'r' was computed to test relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The highest percentage of the women contributed in each of the six selected activities such as 47 percent in vegetable cultivation, 43 percent in post­harvest activities, 47 percent in poultry rising, 46 percent in livestock rearing, 35 percent in tree plantation and 27 percent in fish cultivation. Comparative contribution analysis revealed that 'collection and preservation of seed', 'storing rice', 'cleaning the poultry house', 'looking after kids', 'collection of seed' and 'lime application' occupied 1st position among the items of contribution under homestead vegetable cultivation, post-harvest activities, poultry raising, livestock rearing, tree plantation and fish cultivation with contribution index of 386, 166, 376, 332, 360 and 352 respectively. Computed 'r' values indicated that age of the women had no significant relationship with their contribution in any of the five selected homestead agricultural activities except post-harvest activities. Physical fitness and family type had negative relationship with contribution in all of the activities. However, education, family size, farm size, mass extension contact, attitude towards homestead agriculture, innovativeness of the women had positive relationship with contribution of all of the activities and the relationships were significant. Three characteristics namely, education, physical fitness and training exposure of the women had significant contribution to their vegetable cultivation. These variables together explained 41.3 percent of the variation in the homestead vegetable production. While, education, training exposure and family size together explained 34.8 percent of the variation in the homestead post-harvest activities. Same as education, farm size and physical fitness also explained 22.6 percent of the variation in poultry rising. Individual extension contact, family size and farm size explained 22.1 percent of the variation in livestock rearing. Family size and farm size explained 12.6 percent of the variation in tree plantation and lastly education, farm size and training exposure explained 17.2 percent of the variation in fish cultivation. Farmers mentioned a number of problems for performing different homestead agricultural production activities. 'Lack of place in homestead area' was mentioned as the number one problem regarding homestead vegetable cultivation followed by 'un-favorable weather' in case of post-harvest activities. 'Lack of vaccine in time', 'livestock die due to disease', 'lack of suitable land' and 'religious sentiment' were the prime problems faced by the women regarding their poultry raising, livestock rearing, tree plantation and fish cultivation, respectively.