PERCEIVED NEEDS OF FARM WOMEN FOR AGRI - ENTERPRISES

The present paper is an attempt to work out the gap in training needs of farm women for agri-enterprise. It was observed that the knowledge and skill needs were expressed by the respondents for preparation, production, protection, processing and preservation and others allied activities which can be undertaken for livelihood and enterprise. Along with these, the respondents’ needs for input and services were also assessed. It was found that knowledge and skill needs were expressed by all the three categories of the respondents for cleaning of field under preparation. Under production, knowledge and skill needs were expressed for seed treatment by actual beneficiaries (who had received training under the National Agricultural Technology project) whereas transplanting was expressed by potential beneficiaries (who had an easy access to the know-how due to proximity and expressed interest in the activities of the project though they were not covered under the project). Among control group respondents, high need for knowledge for transplanting while skill needs were for sowing. Under protection activities, knowledge and skill needs were shown for manure/ fertilizer application by the actual beneficiaries while intercultural operation attracted the attention of potential beneficiaries. The control group respondents showed knowledge needs for integrated pest management and skill needs for intercultural operation of the post harvest activities. Irrespective of respondent’s categories, knowledge and skill need were found for processing and preservation. Of the other activities, cooperative dairy, vermi-composting and nursery raising were the three knowledge needs by all the three categories of the respondents. Knowledge and skill needs were also expressed for credit; finance by actual beneficiaries followed by water, and continued technical input. Potential beneficiaries gave 1st rank to continued technical input followed by water. Similar trend in results were observed for the control group respondents.