SUMMARY :Present investigation was carried out in six agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra viz., South Konkan Coastal, North Konkan Coastal, Western Ghat, Sub montane, Western Maharashtra Plain and Eastern Vidarbha. From each zone one district, from each district two blocks and from each block five villages were randomly selected. From each village 30 households (30 male and 30 female) were selected randomly. Hence, from each zone 150 households (150 male and 150 female = 300) were randomly selected. The total households selected from six zones were 900 and the total respondents selected were 1800. The results indicated that VLEW, NGO personnel and Bank personnel were known to rural men and women. Frequency of contact was meagre. Demonstration was found to be mostly preferred extension method. Shortage of time, personnel involved are men were the reasons given by the rural women and venue of the programme was not convenient and the programmes were organized without prior notice were the reasons given by the rural men for not availing extension services.

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Farm women constitute so significant part of working women population in our country that it necessitates a fuller understanding of their status and role not only as they now are but as they may be in future. They participate in most of the agricultural operations like sowing, irrigation, harvesting, dairy management, weeding, winnowing application of fertilizers, planting, threshing. After receiving the harvested crops in the home, it is a woman who carries all the post-harvest tasks. The study was carried out from two agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra. Nanded district was selected from Central Maharashtra Plateau zone and Nagpur district was selected from Central Vidarbha zone. This research consist sample of 410 farmwomen from urban, rural and tribal areas. The respondents were interviewed personally. In the present investigation, extent of participation of urban, rural and tribal farmwomen was compared. Extent of participation was measured as whether the activity was completely performed by the respondent or partially. The results showed that urban farmwomen were completely involved in the activities post-harvest processing of the produce at household level, retention of the produce for consumption and storage while they were performing the activities threshing and engagement of labourers partially. Rural women were found to be involved completely in the activities post-harvest processing of the produce at household level and retention of the produce for consumption whereas they were partially involved in the activities threshing and management of surplus produce at commercial level. It was noticed that tribal farmwomen were completely performing the activities post-harvest processing of the produce at household level, retention of the produce for consumption and management of the surplus produce at household level whereas their partial involvement was in retention of the produce for sale, post-harvest processing of produce at commercial level and management of surplus produce at commercial level