Efficiency Assessment of Maize Sheller in Context of Drudgery of Farm Women

Present study entitled Efficiency Assessment of Maize Sheller was conducted on 90 randomly selected physically fit farm women of district Kanpur and Kushinagar. Data was gathered with prestructured interview cum observation schedule. Descriptive cum experimental research design was adopted to collect information regarding socio-economic profile, physiological cost of work, percent change in grip strength, musculoskeletal pain, and time taken to remove grain from corn. Findings reveled that majority of respondents were between age group of 25-35 years, illiterate belonging to nuclear family and having monthly income up to Rs.10000. Maize shelling is moderately heavy work when done manually but light work if done through Maize Sheller. AWHR was 121 beats/ min for manual shelling and 103 beats/ min in case of Maize Sheller. Physiological cost of work for manual maize shelling was 23 beats/ min and 13.33 beats/ min for Maize Sheller along with 10.7 KJ/ min and 7.66 KJ/ min of energy expenditure respectively. Percent Change in grip strength was observed in both the cases but in manual shelling it was quiet higher. Moderate to severe pain is reported in wrist and fingers in manual shelling while very light to light pain was reported in wrist and no pain in fingers. In one hour 13 kg grain was removed by Maize Sheller whereas only 7.5 kg grain was removed in one hour by manual shelling. Average time taken for removing grain from one corn was 93 seconds in case of manual shelling and by use of Maize Sheller it was only 40 seconds.