Lok Sabha Question No. 3431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-01
Subject: Women’s Participation in Agriculture and Doubling the Income of Women Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3431

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  JANUARY, 2019

## WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE AND DOUBLING THE INCOME OF WOMEN FARMERS

3431.  SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI: SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the share of women in the production of major crops in the country is 75 per cent;
- (b) if so, the measures taken by the Government during the last four years and the current financial  year  to  double  the income of such women engaged in agriculture and the details regarding their effects, State-wise; and
- (c) the details of the manner in which the Government is providing help to or enabling to double  the  income  of  the  women  working  in  the  agricultural  sector  as  workers  or  self employed farmers?

## 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)  to (c): 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  & marginal)  is  to  the  tune  of  3.60  crore  (30.33%)  and  as  female  agricultural  labour  (main  & marginal) to the tune of 6.15 crore (42.67%).

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare has taken various prowomen initiatives which aim at bringing women into the mainstream agriculture so as to be able to contribute to doubling family's income. These include (i) earmarking of 30% of funds for women under various major beneficiary oriented schemes/programmes of the Department;    (ii)  focussed  women  specific  interventions  under  ATMA  component  of  SubMission  on  Agricultural  Extension in terms of  supporting  Women's  Food  Security  groups

(WFSGs) (@ 2WFSGs)/Block) and inclusion of one Gender Coordinator/State in the team of committed extension functionaries; (iii) undertaking macro/micro level studies in critical thrust areas  related  to  women  in  agriculture;  (iv)  development  of  Gender  Sensitization  Capsule Module on Gender Learning and its delivery through training programmes organized through National/Regional/State level training institutes; (v) bringing out farm-women  friendly literature and publications such as Compendium of gender friendly tools/technologies, Farm Women  Friendly  Handbook,  compilation  of  best  practices/success  stories  of  the  women farmers, etc.

Besides,  trainings  are  being  imparted  to  women  farmers  under  various  schemes  of MoA&FW which include ATMA scheme, Cooperative Education Field Projects of DAC&FW; Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  of  DARE,  ICAR  and  Entrepreneurship  Development  and Employment Generation  (EDEG)  under  Sub-Mission  on  Livestock  Development  of  DAHD. The EDEG supports activities related to poultry, small ruminants, rabbit rearing, piggery etc. which are mainly taken up by women.

Special skill training courses in agriculture and allied sectors are also being conducted for  farmers  including  women  farmers  through  KVKs,  National  Training  Institutions  of DAC&FW  and  State  Agricultural  Management  &  Extension  Training  Institute  across  the country. All these steps are aimed at building capacities and capabilities of farm women to adopt improved agricultural practices to get better returns.

The  Department  of  Rural  Development,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  also implementing 'Mahila Kisan Sashtikaran Pariyojana' (MKSP), as sub-component of National Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (NRLM)  with  an  aim  to  create  and  sustain  agriculture  based livelihoods of rural women, which may contribute to raising family income. No specific study to learn State-wise effect of such interventions has however been undertaken.

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