ADOPTION OF HOMESTEAD FARMING TECHNOLOGIES BY THE RURAL WOMEN OF SAV AR UPAZILA

Abstract

The major purposes of the present study were to investigate the adoption of agricultural technologies in homestead farming by the rural women, and to determine the relationship between the characteristics of rural women and their adoption of agricultural technologies. Apart from these major objectives, problems in adopting agricultural technologies by the rural women were determined. Three viJlages of Y earpur union in Savar upazila under Dhaka district, namely Jirabo, Tayabpur and Ghosebag were selected as locale of the study. Out of 460 farm families of these three villages 100 rural women were selected as the sample for this study. Data were collected with the help of a pre-tested interview schedule from the sample during 15 March 2001 to 15 April 2007. Adoption of agricultural technologies by the rural women was ascertained through an adoption scale. Coefficient of correlation was used in order to analyze data in accordance with the objectives. The findings revealed that the highest proportion (42 percent) of rural women had medium adoption of agricultural technologies while 39 percent had low adoption and only 19 percent had high adoption of agricultural technologies. Correlation analysis shows that level of education, homestead size, knowledge on agricultural technologies, training exposure, extension contact, organizational participation and decision making role of the rural women had significant positive relationship with their adoption of agricultural technologies. The rest of the variables did not show any significant relationship with rural women's adoption of agricultural technologies. The major three problems in adoption of agricultural technologies as per descending order of Problem Confrontation Index (PCI) were: (i) lack of quality seed and seedling for homestead cultivation, (ii) high mortality rate of the poultry, (iii) lack of training facilities on agricultural technologies