In this scheme the state level training institute of all the states were upgraded as autonomous State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI). Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir has also utilized this scheme and upgraded Directorate of Extension Education, SKUAST-K as SAMETI-Kashmir vide order No: 341 Agri. of 2005 dated 18.11.2005. During last few years SAMETI has developed a number of training programme for scientific, research and extension planning of various ATMA districts which consisted of masters training programmes, training of various KVKs, NGOs and ATMA personnel, formation of executive and general councils of the SAMETI etc. Various participatory mode of extension activities were conducted in selected modal villages.
Various Kissan Melas, Kissan Awareness Programmes, Kissan Call Centres were established and publications have been circulated among the farmers free of cost. During the last few years many projects have been initiated in consultation with NGOs like Aga Khan Foundation, Border Security Force and other NGOs. Today’s Farm Women Conference has the objectives of empowerment of the women through organizing trainings in collaboration with KVKs, NGOs, Self Help Groups etc.
As per the information from National Women Research Centre, 43% time of farm women is spent on the activities of Agriculture. The industrialized nations too have problems for the farm women. In USA managerial jobs are mend by men but the jobs like bottle washing in the private sectors are done by women. Many rural and agriculture inequalities have been addressed in various conferences in USA, during April, 2008. The agricultural inequalities need to be addressed if we have to achieve social and political empowerment for women. While speaking in the conference Director SAMETI gave details of issues of women in agriculture and said that the access and control over resources is very meager. There is a need for training modules, skill up-gradation. Todays conference is aimed at evolving the consensus among public / private concerns for empowerment of women through agricultural skill upgradation. Self Help Groups shall play important part in technology dissemination and awareness.
There have been successful experiences achieved in India for eco-friendly pest management through women’s participation. The cost competitive farming has been achieved in some of the under developed nations by training women in agriculture. Social awareness and sanitation responsibilities could be shouldered by the women very easily. All we need is to upgrade skills and knowledge of the farm women in J&K state.
Unfortunately, like other states we do not have data base on women issues in agriculture. Farm implements and reduction of drudgery of farm women has never been attempted or mitigated in J&K. Thus development of training modules for mobilization of women to achieve their livelihood through self help groups is needed. We have various models operative in other states of country. Like Udaipur, Rajasthan where women income has been raised from few rupees to thousands of rupees per month by channelizing sewage water for irrigation of vegetable crops. Study comprising of women agriculture labourers has indicated that 42% women wanted training in live stocks and 44% wanted training in vegetables. Unfortunately neither the social nor agriculture scientists have a data base for J&K available as on today. This is why the present training programme has been proposing to construct the data base. In this direction we may be in touch with Women Research Institute of ICAR. Half of the work force in agriculture consists of women.
It is known that 43.7% of the agriculture workers are women. Tamil Nadu Agriculture University has made a study, which reveals that traditional sickles used by farm women were increasing heart rate and heart beats of the women more than the limit of 110 and 40 beats/ minute. On the other hand the KVK Dapoli sickle has been found to be most suitable for the women which does not increase heart beat or pulse rate.
Though SAMETI-K has felt that technological empowerment for women is essential and SAMETI-K is conducting a survey through Participatory Rapid Appraisal Techniques (PRAT). The scientists of the SAMETI alongwith other NGOs and related specialists has visited Uri, Sumbal, Koil Muqam, Srinagar, Anantnag and other places and have prepared district strategic plans for Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Srinagar, Anantnag and Budgam districts. The need of technology interventions for empowerment of women have been identified. (more…)