An exploration of the gendered effects of mechanical mungbean harvesting in Pakistan
How mechanization of the smallholder farming affects the role of and benefits for women from agricultural work using case of mungbean
Abstract
Agricultural mechanization is important to increase farm incomes through greater farm labour productivity, but could also have adverse social consequences, for instance, by marginalizing the role of women in agriculture. The study aims to gain better indulgent of how mechanization of the smallholder farming affects the role of and benefits for women from agricultural work using case of mungbean in Pakistan. Mungbean is an important summer pulse in Pakistan, but average yield is very low at about 1 t/ha. Mungbean production ispartially mechanized in all parts of the country, but harvesting and weeding are done using manual labour, most of it provided by women.Primary data come from interviews with 106 persons in two villages;one in which mechanical harvesting had been adopted and one comparable village where it had not been introduced. The data collection methods were mostly qualitative. The results indicate that men and women perceived mechanization of mungbean harvesting largely as positive as it reduces the burden of work on women and reduces health risk from the field work.
This research was supported by the World Vegetable Center
Citation
Rani, S.; Schreinemachers, P.; Shah, H. 2019. An exploration of the gendered effects of mechanical mungbean harvesting in Pakistan. GOMAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF RESEARCH. 35(1):11-20.
Link
An exploration of the gendered effects of mechanical mungbean harvesting in Pakistan