INVOLVEMENT OF FARM WOMEN IN POST-HARVEST PRACTICES OF VEGETABLES

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to describe the selected characteristics of the farm women and to determine their level of involvement in post-harvest practices of vegetables. Attempt also made to determine the significant contribution of farm women involvement in post-harvest practices of vegetables. The study was conducted at two villages of Ruhitpur union of Keranigonj upazila under Dhaka district. Data were collected by using interview schedule from the randomly selected 106 respondents during 15th January to 13th February, 2018. Descriptive statistics, multiple regressions (β) were used for analysis. Majority (38.7 percent) of the respondents had low involvement of farm women while 33.0 percent and 28.3 percent of them had medium and high involvement in post-harvest practices of vegetables respectively. Among ten selected characteristics, age, education, cosmopoliteness and knowledge on post-harvest practices of vegetables had significant positive contribution to the involvement of farm women in post-harvest practices of vegetables. The remaining characteristics of the farmers, namely family labour, land under vegetable cultivation, annual family income from vegetable cultivation, use of information sources, commercialization of vegetable and types of vegetables did not show any significant contribution with their involvement. The findings of the study indicated that involvement of farm women in post-harvest practices of vegetables was not found satisfactory.