Constraints Faced by Women Self-help Group Members in Vermicompost Production in the Kashmir Valley: A Constraint Facing Index Analysis
G Sai Pujitha
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Syed Shafaat Kubrevi *
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Quadri Javeed Ahmed Peer
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Mohd Ramzan Ahmad
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Farhan Asif Naik
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Ipsita Agarwalla
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
M. C. Fathimath Zuhra
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Shabana Bano
Division of Agriculture Extension and Communication, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Somdutt Tripathi
ICAR- Agriculture Technology Application research Institute (ATARI) - Zone -III, Kanpur, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study examined perceived constraints among women Self-Help Group (SHG) members engaged in vermicompost production in Bandipora and Baramulla districts of the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir. A descriptive ex post facto design was used. The defined study frame comprised 11 SHGs supported by the Indo Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), including seven SHGs with 70 members in Bandipora and four SHGs with 37 members in Baramulla; all 107 members engaged in vermicompost production within this frame were included. Data were collected through personal interviews using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. Thirteen constraints were rated on a four-point continuum and ranked using a Constraint Facing Index (CFI) ranging from 0 to 300. Earthworms being eaten by natural enemies such as birds received the highest CFI (295.33), followed by non-availability of machinery (280.38) and overburdening in household and farm activities (233.62). Lack of proper guidance regarding vermicompost production (42.99) and mortality of earthworms during transfer (39.24) occupied the next two ranks. Constraints in bed preparation (3.74) and non-availability of earthworms (5.61) received the lowest CFI values. The findings identify perceived biological, infrastructural, workload, technical support and marketing constraints that may be considered when designing extension and enterprise-support interventions for comparable women SHGs. Because the study used a purposively defined SHG frame and a descriptive index, the findings should be interpreted as context-specific rankings rather than estimates of causal effects on production.
Keywords: Women self-help groups, vermicomposting, perceived constraints, constraint facing index, agricultural extension, Kashmir Valley