Gender Disparity in Crop Productivity and Input Usage: Evidence from an Empirical Study

Abstract

The study aims at examining the disparity in crop productivity and input usage between male- and female-headed self-cultivating farm households in the coastal region of Odisha, India. Field-level data from 221 sample households are collected and analysed following a multi-stage sampling procedure. The findings reveal that the male-headed farms have both higher productivity and better use of inputs in realizing returns than the female-headed farms. Within the female-headed farms, the de facto ones have an edge over their de jure counterparts in both these respects. Since the study area is a disaster-prone area, adding further to the gender-constraints of female-headed farms in the use of inputs and realizing commensurate yield, the study suggests for measures to build capacity among women farmers to produce efficiently.