Women Farmers Research Articles

Pendampingan Pemanfaatan Limbah Kain dalam Peningkatan Ekonomi Masyarakat Nagari Sungai Abang Lubuk Alung

The purpose of this carrying out community service through this mentoring activity is to increase the skills and knowledge of the Salimah women farming group in Sungai Abang village in making creative and innovative products from fabric waste. The methods applied are lectures, discussions and demonstrations. The results of this community service can improve and increase the knowledge and skills of the members of the Salimah women's farmer group in running and developing a fabric waste craft business in the form of chair cushions and seat mats which can have an impact on improving the household economy of the community of Sungai Abang, Lubuk Alung Padang Pariaman, which is part of the community. in the Salimah women's farming group

SENAM ASIK DAPAT MENURUNKAN NYERI MUSKULOSKELETAL PADA KELOMPOK WANITA TANI

Work-related musculoskeletal pain is a serious occupational health problem worldwide. Farmers are one of the groups of people who are most at risk of developing this condition. To help reduce musculoskeletal pain, farmers can participate in a exercise program called "Anti Sakit Ibu Kelompok wanita tani" (ASIK). The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of ASIK-exercise on musculoskeletal pain in a group of women farmers in Karanganyar. The study used a pre-test and post-test design. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, with a sample (respondents) of 19 women farmers who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were active members of the women farmers' group, in good health, and living in the village of Bolon. The exclusion criteria were respondents who could not read or write, and who were unable to do exercises due to physical constraints. The independent variable was ASIK gymnastics, the dependent variable was musculoskeletal pain, and the control variable was age. The analysis of the difference in musculoskeletal pain scores before and after ASIK-exercises without controlling age used a paired samples t-test, and the analysis of the difference in musculoskeletal pain scores before and after ASIK-exercises with age as a covariate was performed using ANCOVA at α = 5%. The test results stated that with controlling age, ASIK-exercises can significantly reduce musculoskeletal pain (F = 7.540; p = 0.009) with a large effect size category (d = 1.68).

TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE (WIA) EXTENSION OFFICERS IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

The study analysed the training needs of Women in Agriculture (WIA) extension officers in Kano State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to purposively select two local government areas (LGAs) from the three agro-ecological zones in Kano based on the intensity of the WIA officers, making a total of six LGAs for the study. From the six LGAs, 74 WIA officers were randomly selected for the study. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires and analysed using frequency counts, percentages, and the mean. Results revealed that the average age of the women was 34 years, 56.8% were married, and the average household size was 9 people. 50.0% of the respondents had secondary school education and averaged 8 years of working experience as extension agents. The study further revealed that the majority of the women (95.9%) received training on crop production technology and (64.9%) on marketing agricultural commodities. It was also revealed that the WIA needs training on livestock production and disease control, ICT in agriculture, and fish farming. Conclusively, WIA officers competently perform their job in the demonstration of improved technologies and the dissemination of information. It is therefore recommended that women extension officers be trained and provided with training facilities based on their requirements.

Kontribusi Petani Perempuan Dalam Proses Pertanian Padi di Desa Marampiau Kabupaten Tapin

Women in Marampiau Village play a role and contribute to the family's socio-economy by farming rice. This research aims to analyse the contribution of women farmers in the process of rice farming. The theories used in this research are women and development proposed by Mosse, as well as gender theory and women's marginalisation. This research uses a qualitative approach, with the type of field research. The research was conducted in Marampiau Village, Candi Laras Selatan District, Tapin Regency. Data collection techniques used observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques through the stages of data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The results show that women farmers in Marampiau Village generally do not experience discrimination. When they work in the fields, the portion they do will be the same as men, from the beginning of land clearing, seed sowing, rice planting to harvesting. Likewise, the wages received, both men and women receive the same amount of wages, namely 60 thousand to 65 thousand per day. Working in agriculture is an occupational choice that many women in Marampiau Village make. Apart from the favourable environmental conditions, the factor of their husbands working as farmers also encourages them to work to help their husbands. In this study, it can be concluded that in the Marampiau Village community there is no discrimination against women farmers, but a division of labour between women and men. Indeed, this research is expected to be able to deliver new knowledge that marginalisation does not always occur in a society. In farming families in Marampiau Village, what happens is the process of division of labour carried out to ease the family's economic burden.

Future Research Prospects of Floriculture Industry from Management Perspective: A Bibliometric Analysis Using the SPAR-4-SLR Approach

Floriculture as a branch of the horticulture industry is still at a developing stage that needs to be assessed for further orientation in the areas of management, business and economics. The commercialization of ornamental plants and cut flowers is of recent origin in developing economies which have high growth potential, both in domestic and international markets. The study highlights the evolution of the floriculture industry having a management perspective and paving the way for future research directions. The paper conducts a bibliometric analysis and rigorous systematic review of 126 papers published in peer-reviewed journals related to the floriculture industry using the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol. The Biblioshiny function of R software and VOS viewer is used for the analysis. The intellectual structure of the floriculture literature is presented through bibliographic coupling and thematic cluster analysis. The findings indicate considerable opportunities for further investigations in the field of floriculture focusing on the inclusion of sustainability practices, the evolution and role of women farmers and entrepreneurs, and supply chain management of floriculture products.

Genetic and environmental effects on processing productivity and food product yield: drudgery of women's work.

Cassava processing is a crucial source of livelihood for rural farmers and processors in Nigeria and Cameroon. This study investigated the varietal effect on the processing productivity of women farmer processors within their working environment and compared this with the food product quality as evaluated by the processors and the field yield. Field trials were established in Nigeria (Benue and Osun state) and Cameroon (Littoral region). Eight cassava genotypes were evaluated. These eight varieties included newly bred genotypes, commercial checks and varieties provided and preferred by the processors. The roots of these genotypes were harvested and processed into gari and eba by processors. The time of each processing step was recorded. Processors assessed the quality of the roots and food products using pairwise ranking. In the field trials in Cameroon and Nigeria (Benue state), the newly bred genotypes showed superior performance in terms of dry matter content and fresh and dry yield. During processing, genotypes showed significant variation for most assessed parameters in both countries. Some newly bred varieties exhibited lower productivity that can make them more prone to drudgery than the local commercial checks and the varieties provided and preferred by the processors. Newly bred varieties were mostly ranked higher or equal to processors' preferred varieties concerning fresh root and food product quality. In the Cameroon location there were significant varietal differences in processing productivity and drudgery index which suggest that the particular processing methods there - such as pressing methods and fermentation time - cause these varietal differences to matter more. The varieties that were tested were observed to differ in yield, product quality, processing productivity, and potential drudgery levels. Some breeders' germplasms displayed a combination of increased yields and good product quality and good processor productivity. Those varieties that showed low processor productivity should be avoided during selection to avoid increased labour burden and associated drudgery of women processors. Further research is recommended to enhance food product color, latent culinary qualities, and processing productivity of newly bred varieties to improve acceptability and reduce processing drudgery for women. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of the Constraints and Challenges in Avocado (Persea Americana Mill.) Production and Marketing in Southern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The avocado fruit is very popular and highly cultivated in many countries, including Ethiopia, for its multiple benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the major constraints and challenges faced by smallholder farmers in avocado production and marketing in southern Ethiopia. The data were collected from 295 avocado farmers and 30 local traders using various data collection tools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. The findings from the present study revealed that the proportion of men farmers who produce local avocados was significantly higher than that of women farmers (χ2 = 153.79, df = 1, p < 0.001). On the other hand, women dominated the local markets, accounting for 73.3% of the local avocado traders who were interviewed. In addition, our research has demonstrated that smallholder farmers encounter major difficulties and challenges when growing avocados, including poor fruit retention, inadequate knowledge on agronomic practices, issues with diseases, and pests. Approximately 20.4% of farmers were able to solve at least one of the documented challenges in this study. As a result, it is critical that these concerns be addressed at the national, regional, district, and neighborhood levels to increase the standard of living for Ethiopian farmers who grow this essential crop.

Training Needs of Rural Women in Agriculture for Increased Crop Production in Ebonyi State

The study focused on the Training needs of Rural Women in Agriculture for increased Crop Production in Ebonyi State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Survey research design was adopted. The population for the study was 240 which comprised 150 registered female farmers and 90 extension agents in the three Agricultural Zones in the State. There was no sampling due to the manageable size of the population. Structured questionnaire containing a total of 21 items was the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was validated by three experts, two in Agricultural Education and one in Measurement and Evaluation all in Faculty of Education Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient method. A correlation of 0.76 was obtained. A total of 240 copies of the questionnaire were distributed by the researcher and three research assistants. All the 240 copies of the questionnaire distributed were properly filled and used for data analysis. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data collected while t- test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance at the appropriate degree of freedom. Findings among others was that women have difficulties in accessing farmland, improved seeds, chemicals for weed, pests and diseases control, Low level of basic education, lack of female extension agents to train them and it was recommended among others that land allocation should be reviewed to enable women have land for farming. They should be an organized training programme for women farmers by Ebonyi State Agricultural Development project.

Understanding specific gender dynamics in the cowpea value chain for key traits to inform cowpea breeding programs in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Cowpea is an important food and nutrition security crop in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania and it is mainly produced by women farmers mainly on a subsistence scale. The majority of these farmers use local varieties despite the availability of improved varieties in the region. Low acceptability and adoption of improved varieties have also hampered cowpea breeding efforts. The low adoption, especially among women farmers, has been attributed to the failure by breeding programs to involve farmers in the process of designing and developing improved varieties with a view to meeting their priorities and preferences. Despite women constituting the majority of cowpea farmers in these countries, no comprehensive gender analysis on cowpea value chain had been instituted to understand the traits that are gender and youth responsive and how to incorporate them in the product profiling so that the developed varieties benefit men, women and youth. The main objective of the gender study was, therefore, to identify preferred traits by different gender groups within the whole cowpea value chain to inform cowpea breeding programs in the three countries. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods to elucidate preferences, including value chain mapping, a quantitative survey of farmers, focus group discussions and key informant interviews targeting farmers/consumers, traders, policymakers and processors. Results showed that the top-ranking traits in order of importance across the countries and gender were; (1) high grain yield, (2) good grain taste, (3) early maturity time, (4) large grain size, (5) good leaf taste and (6) short cooking time. It was further noted that different gender groups preferred almost similar traits though minor variations were noted in terms of prioritization of these traits. These results have had two major influences on our cowpea breeding program: firstly, the breeding program changed the way it prioritizes traits to include ones that reflect the needs of men, women and the youth in the cowpea value chain. Secondly, our breeding objectives are closely aligned to gender differences in the target population of farmers and other users, by incorporating key priority traits that address the needs of both men and women, including the youth. That is to say, product targets and specific product profiles are more gender sensitive. Since the breeding work is ongoing, the expectation is that the development of improved varieties resulting from this gender sensitive process will translate into higher adoption levels of these varieties (compared with previous releases), which might have ripple effects on food, nutrition and income security in the region.

Agricultural Information Utilization Pattern Among Rural Women Farmers: A Community Level Study in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study was to investigate the pattern of agricultural information utilization among the rural women farmers in Effium community of Ebony State. Three research questions and null hypothesis were developed to guide the study. A structured questionnaire was also developed, validated and used for eliciting information from 540 rural women farmers. Data were analyzed with mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions; and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. From the findings, rural women farmers are mostly within middle age for active use of agricultural information; but have small farm holdings, and depend to great extent on inter-personal communication for agricultural information. The findings also revealed that most of rural women farmers have low education. The respondents agreed that women farmers use information on fertilizer, herbicides, improved seeds, labour sources and market locations. But, women rarely use information on livestock management, record keeping, farm planning, sources of credit and farm mechanization. It was then-recommended that government should deploy extension agents into rural areas to educate farmers on the need and how to use new agricultural information technologies. Again farmers should be encouraged to form co-operative societies to enable them secure greater inputs to improve their income.

Utilization of marketing information by farm women in Telangana state

Utilization of marketing information by farm women in Telangana state

Pelatihan Literasi Keuangan: Cermat Meminjam dan Menabung

This service activity aims to provide an understanding of financial literacy (careful borrowing and saving) so that it is hoped that participants can avoid loan sharks. Apart from that, participants are given knowledge about making simple financial reports so that expenses do not exceed income. This service was carried out at the Women's Farmers Group (KWT) in Pagelaran Village, Pringsewu Regency. The service method used is material presentation and discussion. The results of this activity were that the participants generally understood how to choose the right borrowing and saving as well as calculating the size of the costs of borrowing, although there were some participants who had a little difficulty in reading and writing.

Building motivation and entrepreneurship spirit in the women farmer group of Bola Village

Increasing the entrepreneurial spirit among the Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Bola Village, Batuga District, South Buton Regency, is the aim of this Community Service (PKM). This activity employs the method of delivering materials and facilitating discussions on how to cultivate entrepreneurial motivation within the Bola Village Women's Farmer Group. The results of the activity indicate that participants have become more motivated to pursue entrepreneurship. Despite having hectic daily schedules, participants are equipped with the tools for future entrepreneurship. They have boosted coffee production and introduced innovations in processing coffee into value-added food products. The knowledge acquired from this activity is expected to offer deeper insights into entrepreneurial activities among the Bola Village Women's Farmer Group. Furthermore, it is anticipated that this activity will inspire individuals to persist in developing their businesses.

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Diversifikasi Produk Olahan pada Kelompok Wanita Tani Sri Rejeki Banjarbaru Kalimantan Selatan

The Sri Rejeki Women's Farmers Group (KWT) is in Landasan Ulin Utara District, Banjarbaru City—the majority of residents in the area work as farmers. The natural potential in the area supports agricultural activities such as the cultivation of Butterfly Pea flowers and Bawang Dayak. Several products from KWT Sri Rejeki have been marketed but could be more optimal and are still sold offline. Based on these things, it is necessary to carry out several activities, namely diversifying processed products, making new packaging, and expanding marketing activities. This activity aims to increase understanding regarding types of processed products, improve packaging, and increase capabilities at the product marketing stage. Methods include training on the diversification of processed products, product creation and assistance, packaging planning, online marketing, and evaluation. The products produced are simplicia, tea bags, and powder from Butterfly Pea flowers and Bawang Dayak bulbs. Online marketing is carried out via Instagram, Shopee, and Tokopedia with the account name kwtsrirejeki.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT: CASE OF WOMENS GROUPS IN THE PREFECTURE OF KISSIDOUGOU, GUINEA

This work aims to determine the role that women play in the rural development process in the prefecture of Kissidougou. The activities took place in Kissidougou prefecture from July 16 to October 25, 2023.To better understand this study we adopted the following methodology:Consultation of executives, archives and documents and socio-economic surveys. To this end, our surveys focused on: 240 women surveyed using the direct interview method, including 168 women belonging to groups formed, i.e. 6 women per group and 72 women working individually.From the data collected we arrived at the following results: 1. The annual income of women from all activities combined amounts to 221,479,000 GNF or $25,840 with a total expense of 177,064,570 GNF equivalent to $20,659 or a net profitability of 25.08% 2. The annual expenses of a female farmer increased from 385,200 GNF ($45) to 700,600 GNF ($81.8) or a variation of 82%, that of crafts 422,200 GNF ($49.3) to 710,200 GNF ($83) for a variation of 68% and those of traders from 643,400 GNF ($75.1) to 979,100 GNF ($114.23) for a variation of 52% 3. A change in mentalities for development 4. An increase in the purchasing power of women thanks to the increase in income and their strong application in family expenses (food, health care, schooling, clothing, housing, etc.), purchase of livestock, means travel and house construction. 5. Better management of the family budget and improvement of the conditions of members and non-members of groups. However, it should be noted that despite the efforts made by womens groups for rural development, there is still a lot to do in the sense that the groups are so far confronted with certain problems which are among others: 1. Insufficiency of areas specific to women farmers, inputs, seeds and materials 2. Insufficient infrastructure and craft equipment 3. Insufficient working capital and difficulty in selling finished products. 4. To remedy this problem, in the process of perpetuating the groups it is necessary to adopt the legislative, financial and administrative measures necessary to create an environment favorable to the entrepreneurial spirit of women and their participation in active life. Based on these observations and the testimonies of some women interviewed, we can say that women play a leading role in direct or indirect rural development and in improving family living conditions.

Being a woman with the “skills of a man”: negotiating gender in the 21st century US Corn Belt

There has been broad interest in the so-called rise of women farmers in United States (US) agriculture. Researchers have elucidated the diverse ways farmers ‘perform’ gender, while also examining how engaging in a masculine-coded industry like agriculture shapes individuals’ gendered identities as well as their social and mental wellbeing. While illuminating, this work is mostly focused on sustainable or direct-market farmers, with surprisingly little research examining women on conventional row crops operations. This paper works to fill this empirical gap and further theorize gender-agriculture intersections through analyzing interviews with Iowa women row-crop farmers to understand the ways they perceive their gendered identities, and how they see them shaping their farming experience and mental wellbeing. Deploying a conceptual understanding of gender as both discursive and embodied as well as relational and fluid, I find respondents see themselves operating in a somewhat liminal gender identity, where they feel adept at moving between masculinized spaces of agriculture and more feminized domains of homes and office jobs. Critically, while women rarely expressed stress about doing “masculine” coded agricultural labor, they had more complex feelings towards either disliking or imperfectly completing feminized care and reproductive labor. Younger women expressed particular ambivalence about assuming the identity of farmer while also fulfilling gendered norms around (heterosexual) marriage and childbearing. The liminality of women’s gender performance also cut both ways, and while they feel able to access different gendered spaces some feel they are not fully accepted in either. I conclude by reflecting on what these particular forms of gendered subjectivity might mean for women’s mental wellbeing and how agencies might better support gender equity in agriculture.

Agriculture land use transformation: A threat to sustainable food production systems, rural food security, and farmer well-being?

The acquisition of agricultural land is a crucial aspect of survival for numerous rural communities, serving as a fundamental tool for combating poverty and food insecurity and promoting equitable sustainable economic progress. The expropriation of land offers a promising prospect for remedying past inequities and promoting both economic progress and food sufficiency. Limited research has examined the association between land expropriation and food security, livelihood shocks, and the well-being of rural households worldwide. Therefore, this research explores the implications of land expropriation on food security, livelihood shocks, and well-being of land lost rural communities. The data were collected from 384 farmers selected through stratified sampling techniques using face-to-face surveys in rural China. The data were analyzed using descriptive and logit regression models. The descriptive findings showed that land expropriation has detrimental effects on the livelihood, food security, and well-being of the farmers. Furthermore, these impacts are more harmful among land-expropriated households with a lower educational level, a large family size, and women farmers in less developed rural communities. The econometric results evinced that gender, age, education level, marital status, family size, and negative changes in income all significantly affect the impact of land expropriation on the food security of farmers. Similarly, the findings revealed that farmers with lower education levels were more likely to be affected by land loss as compared to farmers with medium and high education levels. Farmers with complete land loss were 1.70 times more likely to suffer livelihood shocks than those with partial land loss. The results also evinced that the well-being of all farmers was not affected equally, and some farmers' well-being was affected more than others due to various socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, this study suggests the implementation of public policies that provide support to farmers who have been marginalized due to land acquisition.

PkM Pemasaran Hasil Produksi Propolis Lebah Galo-Galo sebagai Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Perempuan pada Kelompok Wanita Tani di Nagari Koto Laweh, Kabupaten Solok

Trigona bees, which in the regional language are called galo-galo (West Sumatra) and Klanceng, Lenceng (Java), are one of the various local resources that have the potential to be a source of income, thereby improving community welfare. For this reason, community service activities are carried out in terms of marketing the results of the galo-galo bees, which are carried out to the community of the Women's Farmers Group by providing counselling and conducting questions and answers related to marketing which can be carried out either directly, especially to the surrounding community or carried out online using utilize social media and available platforms such as online sales via Shope, Lazada and Tokopedia. So this marketing will become a source of income for the community, especially the Nagari Koto Laweh Farming Women's Group and can be developed into a business for Nagari through the Nagari Owned Enterprise which is often known as Bumnag.

Women in Animal Husbandry: Examining Socioeconomic, Communication, Psychological Characteristics and Constraints to Decision-Making

This research was conducted in the Department of Technology Transfer, Faculty of Agriculture, MGCGVV, Chitrakoot, Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India during 2022 to investigate the constraints faced by rural farm women while participating in decision-making processes related to animal husbandry activities. A sample of 340 farm women was surveyed in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, India in year 2019–20. Socioeconomics distribution reveals that the majority of respondents were in the medium age category (36 to 55 years), comprising 56.47% of the sample. The education status of participants varied, with a large proportion (43.23%) being illiterate. Among the educated individuals, primary education was the most common (36.17%), followed by middle education (12.94%). Regarding annual income, the majority fell into the medium category (56.76%), with low and high-income groups comprising 22.06% and 21.18% respectively. In terms of milch animals, the medium category (5–10 animals) was the most prevalent (45.88%). The study reveals that costly management, lack of technical knowledge, high cost of milch animals, social and cultural norms, and dominancy of other family members are significant barriers to women’s participation. The top three constraints identified by the women were costly management (97.35%), lack of technical know-how (96.76%), and high cost of milch animals (87.05%). These constraints highlight the need for providing technical and financial assistance to women engaged in animal husbandry activities. The findings underscore the importance of addressing these constraints through technical and financial assistance, capacity building programs, and improvements in veterinary services. By overcoming these constraints, women’s participation in decision-making processes can be enhanced, leading to improved agricultural practices and livelihoods in rural areas.

Women farmers and community well‐being under modeling uncertainty

AbstractWe examine the association between woman farmers and community well‐being using U.S. county‐level data. We address modeling uncertainty around three measures of community well‐being by using a spatial Bayesian model averaging approach and find that a higher share of farms operated or owned by women in a county is associated with higher rates of new business formation, longer life expectancies, and lower poverty rates. The results are consistent with a growing literature that finds women business owners approach their businesses more holistically, with positive community spillovers.