Over the past 15 years there has been continual release of government-recommended varieties and technologies, such as hybrid maize and plastic mulching packages. Some of these had been tested by the farmers on a small scale but then abandoned. Only a few have been adopted on a large scale for any length of time. In the poorer villages, all of the adopted varieties are improved OPVs and most of them have been improved locally. To fill the gaps between government s limited supply and their multiple needs, female farmers have tried to select and maintain varieties with different characteristics adapted to their complex farming systems and livelihood.
Female farmers have a significant role in household food security .
The case studies strongly suggest that male migration has led to substantial changes in farming structure and gender division of labour. Women, who were usually household managers, have now also become farm managers and the major cultivators as well. While men contribute their monetary income to the household, women are playing a crucial role in subsistence agriculture to ensure household food security and family welfare. Female farmers face several constraints in production . Firstly , a major production constraint observed during the case studies was a shortage of labour and time.