Lok Sabha Question No. 5768 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Women Participation in Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL, CHANDU LAL SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5768

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD   APRIL, 2018

## WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN FARMING

5768.  SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL: SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether women's participation in farming is around 33 per cent of the total work force and as many as 7.5 crore women are engaged in animal husbandry;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  of  schemes/  projects  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to enhance  the  empowerment,  skill  and  entrepreneurship  in  agriculture  work  of  the  women farmers;
- (c) the details of the funds allocated and spent by the Government under these schemes/projects for empowerment of women farmers in the country including Rajasthan; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  provide  identity  cards  to  all  the  women farmers to ensure that the benefits of all the schemes reach them and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a): Yes,  Madam.  As  per  the  Census  2011  conducted  by  the  Registrar  General  of  India, Ministry of Home Affairs, the extent of women participation in agriculture as cultivators (main and  marginal)  is  to  the  tune  of  3.60  crore    as  against  11.88  crore  of  total  cultivators  in  the country which works out to 30.33%.  Further, as per NSS Report No. 559(68/10/3) (July 2011June 2012), among women of all ages who were not workers in the subsidiary status, about 20 percent  in  rural  areas  and  about  6.9    percent  in  urban  areas  pursued  one  or  more  of  the activities  relating  to  agricultural  production  such  as  maintenance  of  kitchen  garden,  work  in household  poultry,  dairy  etc.  including  free  collection  of  agricultural  products  for  household consumption and processing of primary products for household consumption.

(b) & (c): In line with the National Policy on Farmers (2007), the Department is promoting mainstreaming of gender concerns in agriculture by ensuring involvement of at least 30 percent women under its various beneficiary oriented Schemes/components. Besides, the  network of 690  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  across  the  country  established  by  Indian  Council  of Agricultural  Research  are  mandated  with  Technology  Assessment  and  Demonstration  for  its Application and Capacity Development of farmers including women farmers.

The  Department  of  Rural  Development  is  implementing  a  programme  'Mahila  Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), as a sub-component of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) which is aimed at achieving socio-economic and technical empowerment of women. The details of such initiatives are given at Annexure .

(d): As  women  are  already  recognized  as  Cultivators  &  Agricultural  Labour  in  the  Census 2011 Report with their numbers duly reflected in main & marginal category, the Government has no proposal to provide identity cards to women farmers.

Details  of  initiatives  aimed  at  enhancing  women's  participation  in  agriculture  and empowering them with knowledge, skills and entrepreneurship in Agriculture

## A.  Mainstreaming  efforts  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers Welfare

The National Policy of Farmers (NPF), 2007 supports adopting gender specific interventions in  agriculture  &  allied  sectors  to  promote  women's  participation  in  agriculture  and  allied sectors.  In  line  with  the  policy  directives,  the  guidelines  of  various  schemes  of  the Department of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  including  Support  to  state Extension  Programmes  for  Extension  Reforms  (ATMA);  National  Food  Security Mission  (NFSM);  National  Mission  on  Oil  Seeds  and  Oil  Palm  (NMOOP);  National Mission  on  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA);  Sub-Mission  on  Seeds  and  Planting Material;  Sub-Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  and  Mission  for  Integrated Development  on  Horticulture  (MIDH)  stipulate  that  states  and  other  Implementing Agencies are required to incur at least 30% expenditure on women Farmers  and provide preference to women.

- B.  The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  established  a  network  of  684 Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  in  the  country  mandated  with  Technology  Assessment Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development (TADA-CD). KVKs organize demonstrations training programmes and skill development for the benefits of farmers and farm women, rural youth, and in service extension personnel. Men and women farmers are  considered  equally  in  various  extension  programmes  of  KVKs  and  women  are encouraged to participate in all the scheme and programmes.
- C.  The  Department  of  Rural  Development  is  implementing    a  programme  'Mahila  Kisan Sashaktikaran  Pariyojana  (MKSP),  which  is  a  sub-component  of  National  Rural Livelihood  Mission (NRLM) and is aimed at meeting specific needs of women farmers predominantly small and marginal farmers to achieve their socio-economic and technical empowerment  so  as  to  enable  them  to  manage  and  sustain  their  activities.  Funding support to the tune of 60% (90% for North Eastern and Himalayan states) for the projects is  provided  by  the  government  of  India  and  balance  amount  is  contributed  by  the respective  state  government.  Funds  are  released  in  three  installments  in  the  ratio  of 25:50:25. The Ministry has so far approved 80 projects covering about 33 lakhs mahila kisans  in  21  states  and  one  union  territory  of  the  country  including  Rajasthan  where around 60,000 mahila kisans have been benefitted. The quantum of financial assistance has been to the tune of Rs. 822 crores.

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