Socioeconomic, Communication, Psychological and Managerial Capacity Assessment of Women Farmer Groups in Ri Bhoi District of Meghalaya, India

Abstract

The study examines how women’s roles and capacities influence nutrition-sensitive farming interventions across Thadnongiaw, Kdonghulu, and Liarkhla villages of Ribhoi District of Meghalaya, surveying 47 members organized into Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) under a Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) approach. Using structured questionnaires and statistical analyses (frequency, percentage and K-mean clustering), the study assessed socio-economic profiles, communication and psychological traits and management skills of the 3 FIG groups. Participants were mostly middle-aged with junior school education and moderate farming experience and faced limited access to modern inputs, lower literacy, and dual domestic–agricultural workloads. Communication patterns showed medium extension engagement and mass-media use, yet most lacked proficiency in interpreting UAV-derived imagery and data, highlighting a need for targeted digital training. Managerial capacities varied demonstrating weak planning but medium-level control abilities. This indicated strengthening advanced planning and group-management practices. Interventions that strengthen women's capacities in these areas serve as both pathways for women's empowerment and nutrition-sensitive agricultural strategies, resulting in improvements in livelihoods and nutritional outcomes that reinforce one another.