Impediments Confronted and Suggestion Offered by Farm Women towards Animal Husbandry Practices

Abstract

Women are considered to be pioneers in all sorts of development, as they play a key role in shaping the character of young generation whom we call as the future of the nation. Women contribute nearly equally along with men, in the economic development of the country. The contribution of farm women in agriculture is estimated to be about 50-60 per cent. Animal husbandry along with agriculture is the important sector for the country and supporting for the rural people. Development in animal husbandry shows direct effect on rural people’s development. There are some constraints observed in animal husbandry practices by the farm women which hinder them to adopt new practices. Therefore, there is need to know the constraints faced and suggestions offered by farm women in animal husbandry practices. The study was conducted in Rajkot district of Saurashtra region. From four talukas of Rajkot district, three villages were selected purposively due to highest number of cattle from each taluka. Thus, total 120 respondents were selected randomly from 12 villages for the study. The result of the study revealed that the major important constraints faced by farm women about animal husbandry practices were;non-availability of remunerative prices for milk (90.83 per cent),high cost of concentrate feed and fodder (87.50 per cent), loan procedure is lengthy, tedious and cumbersome (85.83 per cent), high cost of construction of scientific animal shed/ housing (82.50 per cent)and lack of female extension staff (79.17 per cent) were gotfirst, second, third, fourth and fifth rank, respectively. Whereas, the major suggestions as endorsed by them were; remunerative price of milk should be provided (80.83 per cent) got first rank, followed by technologies which are to be evolved by veterinary expert should be simply, practicable, economical and based on local conditions (78.33 per cent),charges of veterinary services should be reduced (75.83 per cent), loan procedure should be made easy to purchase milch animals (70.83), cattle feed should be provided at reasonable price got second, third, fourth and fifth rank, respectively.