The NERICA Success Story: Development, Achievements and Lessons
Gendered effects of NERICA upland rice: The case of labor dynamics in Hoima District, Uganda
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Transcript of Gendered effects of NERICA upland rice: The case of labor dynamics in Hoima District, Uganda
gendered effects of nerica upland rice
johanna bergman lodindept of human geography lund university sweden
the case of labor dynamics in hoima district, uganda
africa rice congress, march 24, 2010
acknowledgement
associate prof. Magnus JirströmDept of Human Geography
Lund University, Sweden
ms. Milly Mugenyi
Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA-U), Kampala, Uganda
presentation outline
gender rationaleour case study
discussion of results, w. particular focus on gendered labor effects
synthesispolicy implications
nerica and poverty assessments income poverty
the ”success” of NERICA has mainly been established
econometrically by measuring production growth or
household income gain this can capture shifts in
income poverty on household level
does not capture the (gendered) distribution of
costs and benefits within the household
other deprivations prevalence or absence on
individual level of empowering elements such
as good health, influence on decision making/ bargaining
power, access to information, education and
time physical strains and
drudgery gender sensitive
not well researched in relation to NERICA
nerica in uganda
rice is becoming an important food!NERICA introduced in 2002
high-level support, e.g. Vice-President Initiative; donors highly committed
40,000ha established by 2008described as a ”NERICA Revolution”
rapid adoption ratesdecreasing households’ financial
poverty
our study
2008-2009, main focus: Hoima Districtmixed methods research:
pre-survey survey of 302 NERICA growers
diary study to record precise family labor input, 13 households participating,
coverage: 2008 more than 50 focus group interviews
key informant interviews additional key informant and informal
interviews in Kampala as well as in Luwero and Wakiso districts
nerica is an important crop
+1/3 of total cultivated acreage +75% sold off
realizing +50% of farm income (farm income share of total income: 85%)
this is the major benefit: MORE MONEY!BUT: the sharing of benefits is gendered!
and so is the sharing of costs!
labor intensity of nerica
the labor intensive nature of NERICA was the most frequently raised and returned-to topic
during interviews and discussions
the farmers claim that the labor intensity of NERICA is their core production concern and
constraint
most time consuming task in nerica production; 1st
rank (%)sex of
respondent all N=299male
N=197female N=102
crop protection (birds)
58.4 (3,5)
67.6 (4,7) 61.5 (2,8)
weeding 28.4 (3,2)
16.7 (3,7) 24.4 (2,5)
land preparation 11.7 (2,3)
8.8 (2,8) 10.7 (1,8)
other tasks 1.5 (0,9) 6.9 (2,5) 3.3 (1,0)total 100,0 100,0 99,9
Data refer to the second season 2008. Numbers in parentheses indicate standard error means.
the gendered division of labor in hoima
women
men
land preparation + +++planting ++/++
++/++
weeding +++ +crop protection, incl. bird scaring
+++ +
harvesting ++/+++
+/++
threshing + +++
Sources: Interviews with farmers and key informants (extension workers, NGOs, local government staff etc.).
scores: 1 – 10 time increasing with score
time consuming
women Ruhunga
men Kigabu
rice 10 4
cassava 8 10
bananas 10 10
groundnuts 7 3
coffee -- 10
maize 7 3
beans 5 2
millet 7 --
sweet potatoes
5 --
tobacco -- --
cabbage 6 --
greens 3 --
tomato 4 --
onions 2 --
women’s and men’s scores for the most
important crops they grow with regard to
time consumpti
on
scores: 1 – 10 exhaustion increasing with score
labor exhausting
women Ruhunga
men Kigabu
men Ruhunga
rice 10 7 8
cassava 9 7 2
bananas 3 7 --
groundnuts 6 6 5
coffee -- 7 5
maize 6 7 2
beans 5 7 --
millet 8 -- --
sweet potatoes 7 -- --
tobacco -- -- 10
cabbage 2 -- --
greens 4 -- --
tomato 2 -- --
onions 1 -- --
women’s and
men’s scores for
the most important
crops they
grow with regard to
labor exhaustio
n
bird scaringre
sp
on
den
ts’
voic
es
diary study log of family labor hours in nerica
productionN=13 total
hours% of total
hourshours/ acre
land preparation 360 (69) 19,6 (4,2) 329 (79)planting 208 (38) 10,7 (1,3) 143 (21)weeding 265 (55) 11,2 (1,7) 210 (50)bird scaring 652
(102)36,9 (4,2) 540 (112)
harvesting 371 (64) 21,6 (3,3) 314 (64)total family labor
1783 (193)
100,01518 (211)Data refer to the second season 2008. The numbers in parentheses
indicate standard error means. Except for bird scaring, the data is coherent with the findings by Kijima et al. (2007). The farmers in Hoima use more family labor in bird scaring than what the Kijima
study indicated (difference significant on the 1 per cent level).
time consuming: in absolute terms: 12-13 hrs/day for +1
month relative other crops: not needed for those
labor exhausting / inducing drudgery: you have to run up and down the field,
shouting, waving, clapping hands, throwing stones, using rattles and drums
mainly affecting women and children!some men have started to get
engaged, but their participation is not yet undifferentiated
weedingre
sp
on
den
ts’
voic
es
diary study log of family labor hours in nerica
productionN=13 total
hours% of total
hourshours/ acre
land preparation 360 (69) 19,6 (4,2) 329 (79)planting 208 (38) 10,7 (1,3) 143 (21)weeding 265 (55) 11,2 (1,7) 210 (50)bird scaring 652 (102) 36,9 (4,2) 540 (112)harvesting 371 (64) 21,6 (3,3) 314 (64)total family labor
1783 (193)
100,01518 (211)
Data refer to the second season 2008. The numbers in parentheses indicate standard error means. Except for bird scaring, the data is
coherent with the findings by Kijima et al. (2007)
weedingre
sp
on
den
ts’
voic
es
seasonal family labor demands for selected crops
in ugandatotal family labor input
family labor input:
weedingsource of information
hours/ acre
hours/ ha
hours/ acre
hours/ ha
tobacco n.a. n.a. 251 620 our survey datanerica 1518 3749 210 519 our diary study databananas 158 391 59 144 Bagamba et al. 1998beans 404 998 111 274 Kijima et al. 2007maize 291 720 85 209 Kijima et al. 2007coffee 191 460 75 185 Bagamba et al. 1998g-nuts 116-
160287-395
64 158 Obuo et al. 2003
time consuming: relative other crops; (two or) three
weedings instead of one labor exhausting / inducing drudgery:
backbreaking work endure it thrice instead of once
hand and hoe weedings combined while usually only hoe weeding in other crops
mainly affecting women and children! some men have started to get
engaged, but their participation is not yet undifferentiated
a few more gendered labor aspects
plot divisions women usually provide the bulk labor
irrespective of plot set-up mainly male control over output from joint
plots, women more in control over own plots
labor hire +70% hire some labor for NERICA
but: mainly replaces men’s work and channeled into male fields
mechanization of land preparation
low: 9.6% use tractors, 3% use oxen BUT where in place:
mainly replaces and saves men’s labor no similar services available that can
save women’s labor with regard to weed and bird control
synthesis households as units gain in economic terms
(decreasing their income povety) the extreme labor burden NERICA induces
on women (and children) exacerbates their deprivations, particularly in terms of time poverty and drudgery, but potentially it may also reduce or prevent the formation of their social and human capitals!
control of output and sharing of proceeds not always fair between household members: the money does not always reach the wives’ pockets
if the described “NERICA Revolution” is going to be maintained, or even furthered, it is crucial that farmers embrace the crop
in a sustained manner!adoption is not an irreversible state: in
some districts dropouts have been systematic, incl. Wakiso and Luwero
the reason: women were not able to cope with the new and gruelling labor why
the rice, consequently, failedwhile Hoima is still not much affected by
dropouts, this can change!
Sample size 2004: N=250, Sample size 2007 unknown due to unspecified attrition.
district dropouts (%)
Kamwenge 3.3
Hoima 4.2
Kibale 4.2
Masindi 8.3
Luwero 26.7
Kiboga 33.3
Mpigi 44.8
Wakiso 55.2
Mubende 63.3
proportion of nerica adopters in uganda 2004 who by 2007 were
not growing nerica (kijima 2008, p. 23)
the suboptimal distribution of labor, productive inputs, proceeds and benefits
between men and women may jeopardize future interventions and the chances to achieve sustainable results in regard to
NERICA! interventions should therefore aim at both
improving rice adoption/ production/ productivity in general and increasing the
productive capacity of farming activities in which women are engaged, i.e. to
increase women’s management ability this calls for the current labor
bottlenecks associated with weeding and bird scaring to be addressed!
policy implications
in relation to technology dissemination efforts in general, in Uganda and beyond, this demands policy revisions and that research organizations, donors and service
providers formulate procedures for how to explore these various gender
dimensions adequately before the introduction of a new technology so
as to avoid suboptimal outcomes!!
merci!
thank you!