Women-Friendly Farm Tools and Equipments are reducing Drudgery

Drudgery Reducing Women-Friendly Farm Tools & types of Equipment:

Farm Women transplanting Rice


The contribution of women in agriculture is tremendous. Women do most of the difficult work in India starting from Sowing, Transplanting, Weeding, Harvesting, and many post-harvest operations. To make their work easier and to reduce the drudgery many organizations and institutions have come forward with new tools and equipment.

ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture situated at Bhubaneswar, Odisha working with a mission to generate and disseminate knowledge to promote gender-sensitive decision making for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of women in Agriculture. Had an opportunity to visit this Institution and could see the improved tools and equipment which can help women to reduce drudgery and physical exertion. Let us see the tools and equipment.

1. FERTILIZER BROADCASTER:
It is used for the uniform distribution of granular fertilizer in the field. Fertilizer does not come into direct contact with hands thereby enhance the safety of women. It can be easily calibrated as per fertilizer dose. It works on the basis of the centrifugal force.

2. HANGING TYPE CLEANER:

Hanging Type Cleaner
Hanging Type Cleaner

Women in a rural area, generally use hand blower( Kula) for removing dust, sand particles, and chaff which is time-consuming and very painful. Hanging type cleaner work with the principle of to and fro motion which creates shaking movement of the sieve and thus cleans the grains. As it is tied above the ground up to waist height so bending is not required. To operate it is very easy and does not require hard labor as force do not fall on the shoulder of the women. There is a sack holder attached to it and a single person can operate it.

3. WHEEL HOE WEEDER:
It is used for weeding and intercultural operations in upland field in between crop rows. It consists of two wheels with an attached V-shaped blade on a tyne with a long handle of which height can be adjusted as per requirement. It avoids bending posture as seen in the traditional short handle weeder. The depth of operation can also be adjusted.

4. HAND RIDGER:
It is used for making ridges and furrows with significant ease and also forming channels for irrigation. Two women can operate it easily one pulls in the front holding the handle and other pushes and guides it.

5.SUGARCANE STRIPER:
It is used for stripping the leaves of sugarcane easily in one move and detopping the cane. It helps to reduce drudgery and avoids chances of injury while working.

6.SITTING TYPE GROUNDNUT DECORTICATOR:
It is used for separating kernels from groundnut pods. It is an oscillatory type device with arm, frame, handle, and sieve. The farm women can operate it by sitting position with less application of force. The efficiency of decortication is increased by manifold as compared to the traditional method.

7. SEED-CUM-FERTILIZER DRILL:
It is used for seed sowing and fertilizer application simultaneously. It has two boxes, one for seeds and other for fertilizer. It is operated by two women, one pulling from the front and the other guiding behind.

8. DIRECT RICE DRUM SEEDER:
The rice seeds are sown in line with ease. The distance between rows can be adjusted as per requirement. Generally, germinated seeds are used. It saves time and effort in sowing rice seeds.

9.ROTARY DIBBLER:
It is used for dibbling bold to medium-sized seeds like maize, soybean and pigeon pea. It is manually operated push-type equipment.

10.CONO WEEDER:
It is used for uprooting and burying weeds in between standing rice crop. The equipment is operated in a standing position thus avoids bending as seen in traditional weeding.

Finally, I must thank Ms. Chaitrali Shashank Mhatre (Scientist- FMP), ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar for explaining the use of the tools and equipment so nicely.

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