Skill training program on “Homestead technologies for sustainable income and livelihood” at kvk, wyra from 14.03.2024 to 16.03.2024

Women played and continue to play a significant role in the conservation of basic life support systems like land, water, flora and fauna. They have protected the health of the soil through organic recycling and promoted crop security through the maintenance of varietal diversity and genetic resistance. That women play a significant and crucial role in agricultural development and allied fields including in the main crop production, livestock production, horticulture, post-harvest operations, agro forestry and fisheries. The recognition of their crucial role in agriculture should not obscure the fact that farm women continued to be concerned with their primary functions as wives, mothers and homemakers. Despite their importance to agricultural production, women face severe handicaps as they are the largest group of landless labourers. These rural farm women remain marginal or small farmers, landless tenants and farm labourers with low-income levels. The adoption of skill trainings in rural areas is influenced by factors like farming situation, resource availability, needs and aspirations of these women belong to different socioeconomic and cultural backdrops. Further, inadequate skill training services, high level of illiteracy among rural women, socio-cultural restrictions, low paying-capacity and lack of interest may be obstrucles for non-adoption or low adoption of different improved homestead technologies. The skill development is a key to success which improved productivity, employability and earning opportunities. It can bridge the gap between job and work force bringing confident smile on the faces of women that can be a measurement of their empowerment. In this context, to provide options and at the same help in income generation to farm women / rural youth, a three days skill training program on “Homestead technologies for sustainable income and livelihood” from 14.03.2024 to 16.03.202 was organised. The skill training included on various aspects related to preparation of low-cost decorative items using pots, divas, fruit shells and candle making for use at house-hold level and sale with locally available materials. Also, the participants were sensitized on preparation of biofertilisers using vegetable waste and cold pressed oilseed cakes as many households in rural areas now a days do not possess cows or buffalos to prepare animal based biofertilisers. The tomato crop ripens rapidly and is spoiled easily. They have varied price and during season, the glut causes farmers to discard the produce. In this context, the age-old practice of salting and drying cut tomatoes can be a very good option to preserve them for off season use. The farm women were shown the use of these dried products in various food preparations.