The women brigade of farmers
The Shinde family is banking on Suwarna to find ways of
farming with the little available water in Sangamner.
And Suwarna, who is studying agriculture at the Agriculture College, Pune is
more than eager to go back. There are many such girls, who have traveled from
various parts of the country, to study agriculture, at the Agriculture College.
There are been a consistent rise in the number of girls enrolling for what was
considered, till late, as men’s domain. While women always involved in
the work on the fields, with more and more ‘professionals’ passing out of
such colleges, girls are playing a significant role in the farming activities.
“We mostly grow wheat and jowar and the last few years have not been too good.
I am waiting for the course to finish so that I can help my parents,” says
Suwarna.
Of the four sisters, only Suwarna has taken up agriculture, because “ I had
the combination of interest and was also aware of the need to do something to
improve the crop.”
The first girl from their family to study agriculture, surprisingly there was
little resistance from her parents, when she decided to enroll for the course.
Like Suwarna, there are many girls at the Agriculture College, who have enrolled
for the course, with the idea of going back home and assisting farming at their
respective homes. There are others who want to develop nursery’s, teach or get
into agricultural research. The only girl, of the four Shinde daughters, adds
that the response of the villagers have also been positive. “Suddenly I am an
important person, my neighbours come to me and enquire about the quality of
seeds, fertilizers, on means to improve the quality of soil. It feels
great.”
Madhuri Shirole, from Dhule, joined the Agriculture College, to fulfill her
father’s dream of developing a nursery on their land. An M Sc. student,
specialsing in Agronomy, Madhuri is all set to fulfill that dream.
Her project is on ‘Cultivation of brahmi, bacopa monnieri in India, which is a
medicinal plant, with healing properties. “With the increasing popularity of
alternative medicines, medicinal herbs are of great significance.”
“I want to grow these plants on our land.” But its not going to be easy for
Madhuri
because her land is dry and medicinal plants like brahami grow only on marshy
lands.
Madhuri remembers her earlier days, when she was a first year student. “There
were hardly any girls in the class and boys gave us a ‘good for nothing’
attitude.”
But the boys too realsied that the girls were here to stay. Now from driving a
tractor, ploughing the land or to toil on the land, it’s the same for them.
Presently, there are 300 girls pursuing undergraduate courser and other 50 girls
are completing their post graduation at the college.
Like Madhuri, there are many girls who have traveled from far and near with only
one intention. To find a solution to the problems of farming. That’s not
all, the girls are even keen to take care of the other aspects of
agriculture, apart form soil and seeds.
Swati Thorat, who hails from a small village Nighoj, in Ahmednagar has just
completed her M Sc in Agricultural economics. “ We grow Sugarcane and wheat,
back home and I want to assist farming. Though I would not be actually working
on the crop, I would be involved in the financial aspect, like the profits, cost
of cultivation’s and marketing of the crop.”
There is a distinct lack of know how, regarding this aspects. Most of farmers
back home are only concerned with the crop and because they are ignorant about
the marketing aspects, they suffered loses. I would want to change all that adds
Swati.
Like Swati, Shilpa Dixit was not interested in toiling on the farms. “Seeing
my father and brothers working on the land got me interested in farming, but I
prefer etc teach instead of farming,” says Swati who is studying to become a
lecturer, the first in her village.
Though the trend of rise in the numbers the figures have shot up in the recent
past. Presently there 350 girl students for the undergraduate courses and 50 for
the post graduate level, at the Agriculture College.
There has been a consistent rise in the number of girls enrolling for these
courses. One of the primary reasons is that the government has decided to
reserve 30 per cent quota for girl students. However, girls seem to be
surpassing that mark and over 40 per cent of the students on the classes are
girls.
Citing the reasons for the increase in the number of girl students, Associate
Dean and principal A B Jadhav stated that there is a growing need of expertise
in the farms and when the men of the family fail to live up to the expectations,
the women come to the rescue.
“We have girl students in various steams, including Agriculture, Horticulture,
Forestry and B. Tech (Engineering).
There are many, which either want to work or go into research after completion
of the course and there are others who want to go back and work on their lands.
The course is practical oriented, with sowing reaping, plough and even driving
the tractor and girls are doing remarkably well.”
Confirms Prof R B Khot, who says that the number of girls has increased so much
that apart form the 30 per cent quota, girls are coming in through the regular
merit as well. Though 60 per cent to the syllabus is on the practicals girls
rarely have any problems. They have no inhibitions about the hard work and
rarely complain, he compliments.