Lok Sabha Question No. 155 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-02
Subject: Assistance to Women Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Supriya Sadanand Sule

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 155

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE   2 ND  JULY, 2019

## ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN FARMERS

- *155.     SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

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

- (a) whether the Government has started any schemes to provide facilities to the women farmers for the development of the agriculture sector in the country, if so, the details thereof along with the amount of funds allocated and utilized for the said purpose during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) the  number of  women farmers who have been trained in agriculture related fields under various Central schemes during the above period;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that the share of women in the production of main crops in the country is 75 per cent;
- (d) if  so,  the  action  taken  by  the  Government  in  doubling  the  wages  of  the  women working  in  the  agriculture  sector  or  providing  assistance  for  doubling  the  income  of  the women working as self employed farmers; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to release more funds for development of women farmers so that they could meet their specific needs and achieve socio-economic and technical empowerment?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 155 DUE FOR REPLY ON 2 ND  JULY, 2019.

- (a): Yes, Sir. In line with the provisions of National Policy for Farmers (NPF) (2007), the Department  of  Rural  Development,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  implementing  a programme exclusively for women farmers namely, Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), which is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (DAY-NRLM).  The  primary  objective  of  MKSP  is  to  empower women and to enhance their participation and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for them in agriculture. The State/UT wise fund allocation and release under MKSP during the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  are  given  at Annexure-I .    The  Department  of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is also promoting mainstreaming of Gender Concerns  in  agriculture  by  ensuring  flow  of  funds  and  benefits  to  the  tune  of  30%  for women farmers under its beneficiary oriented Schemes and Programmes.
- (b): Over 1.39 crore women have been trained in agriculture related fields under various Central  Schemes  in  last  3  years  and  the  current  year.  The  number  of  women  farmers trained under different Schemes during the last 3 years and the current year are given at Annexure-II.
- (c): There is no census data available highlighting share of women in the production of main  crops  in  the  country.  However,  as  per  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 (30.33 %) and as female agricultural labourer (main and marginal), it is to the tune of 6.15 crore (42.67%).

-2-

(d): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both the State and Central Governments are the appropriate Governments to fix, review, revise and implement the minimum wages under their respective jurisdictions. The wages fixed by the appropriate Governments are equally payable to both male and female workers and the Act does not discriminate  on  the  basis  of  gender.  With  a  strategy  to  focus  on  farmers'  welfare,  the Government have made various interventions on the recommendation of DFI Committee, the benefits of which flow to farmers including women farmers.

(e): Government is providing additional support and assistance to women farmers, over and above the male farmers under various  Schemes, the  details  of  which  are  given  at Annexure-III .

## Annexure -I

## The State/UT wise fund allocation and release under Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) of MoRD

(Rs.Crore)

| Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   | Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   | Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   | Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   | Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   | Details of MKSP allocation and released based on State utilisation ( Rs. Crore)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                           | State                                                                             | Release 2016-17                                                                   | Release 2017-18                                                                   | Release 2018-19                                                                   | Release 2019-20                                                                   |
| 1                                                                                 | Andhra Pradesh                                                                    | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 9.73                                                                              | No releases effected in the current                                               |
| 2                                                                                 | Assam                                                                             | 2.77                                                                              | 1.50                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 3                                                                                 | Bihar                                                                             | 25.94                                                                             | 0.00                                                                              | 2.68                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 4                                                                                 | Chhattisgarh                                                                      | 4.70                                                                              | 9.39                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 5                                                                                 | Gujarat                                                                           | 0.23                                                                              |                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 6                                                                                 | Himachal Pradesh                                                                  | 0.00                                                                              | 0.30                                                                              | 0.19                                                                              | year                                                                              |
| 7                                                                                 | Haryana                                                                           | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 1.89                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 8                                                                                 | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                 | 0.00                                                                              | 2.14                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 9                                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                                         | 20.50                                                                             | 13.81                                                                             | 2.53                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 10                                                                                | Karnataka                                                                         | 0.96                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 11                                                                                | Kerala                                                                            | 17.52                                                                             | 0.00                                                                              | 7.44                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 12                                                                                | Maharashtra                                                                       | 10.57                                                                             | 20.09                                                                             | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 13                                                                                | Madhya Pradesh                                                                    | 0.83                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 14                                                                                | Meghalaya                                                                         | 0.00                                                                              | 0.65                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 15                                                                                | Mizoram                                                                           | 0.81                                                                              | 1.62                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 16                                                                                | Odisha                                                                            | 6.36                                                                              | 0.89                                                                              | 0.82                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 17                                                                                | Union Territory of Puducherry                                                     | 0.0                                                                               | 0.58                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 18                                                                                | Rajasthan                                                                         | 7.61                                                                              | 6.24                                                                              | 6.45                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 19                                                                                | Telangana                                                                         | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 20                                                                                | Tamil Nadu                                                                        | 0.00                                                                              | 6.05                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 21                                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                                     | 9.50                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 20.60                                                                             |                                                                                   |
| 22                                                                                | West Bengal                                                                       | 0.00                                                                              | 0.49                                                                              | 0.92                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 23                                                                                | Nagaland                                                                          | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 2.35                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 24                                                                                | Mutli State project                                                               | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 5.87                                                                              |                                                                                   |
| 25                                                                                | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                 | 0.00                                                                              | 0.00                                                                              | 4.13                                                                              |                                                                                   |
|                                                                                   |                                                                                   | 108.31                                                                            | 63.76                                                                             | 65.60                                                                             |                                                                                   |

Note:  MKSP  is  a  demand  driven  programme.  There  is  no  provision  of  state  wise allocation for every year.

## Details of farm women benefitted through various trainings in the last 3 years and current year

(Nos. in lakh)

| Sl. No   | Ministry/Department                                             | Scheme/Programme                                                 | Years                                     | Years                                     | Years                                     | Years                                     |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|          |                                                                 |                                                                  | 2016-17                                   | 2017-18                                   | 2018-19                                   | 2019-20                                   |
| 1.       | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare                       | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare                        | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| A.       | Department of Agriculture Cooperation &Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) | Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms (ATMA) | 8.44                                      | 12.49                                     | 11.37                                     | 0.24                                      |
| A.       |                                                                 | Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) (Skill Training)    | 0.006                                     | 0.003                                     | 0.02                                      | --                                        |
| A.       |                                                                 | Sub-Mission on Plant Protection (SMPP)                           | 0.03                                      | 0.031                                     | 0.032                                     | 0.005                                     |
| A.       |                                                                 | National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT)                 | 0.10                                      | 0.17                                      | 0.15                                      | 0.02                                      |
| A.       |                                                                 | National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI)                       | 0.48                                      | 0.46                                      | 0.43                                      | --                                        |
| A.       |                                                                 | Sub Mission on Mechanization(SMAM)                               | 0.03                                      | 0.03                                      | 0.03                                      | 0.005                                     |
| B.       | Department of Agriculture Research &Education/ICAR              | Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)                                     | 1.07                                      | 1.09                                      | 1.17                                      | 0.57                                      |
| 2.       | Ministry of Rural Development                                   | Ministry of Rural Development                                    | Ministry of Rural Development             | Ministry of Rural Development             | Ministry of Rural Development             | Ministry of Rural Development             |
|          | Department of Rural Development                                 | Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna                             | 30.65                                     | 34.06                                     | 35.97                                     | 0.00                                      |
|          | Total                                                           |                                                                  | 40.806                                    | 48.334                                    | 49.172                                    | 0.84                                      |

## Schemes which provide additional assistance to Women (over and above male farmers)

-  Higher Rates of Assistance for Women under Agri-Clinic & Agri- Business Centre (ACABC) Scheme :  Agri-Clinic & Agri-Business Centre initiative of SubMission on Agricultural Extension provides for credit linked back-ended subsidy on the bank loan availed by trained candidates under the Scheme. The subsidy is 44% in respect of women, SC/ST and all categories of candidates from NorthEastern and Hill States and 36% in respect of other categories.
-  Support for Women under Integrated Scheme of Agriculture Marketing: The Support for women is available to the extent of 33.33% for women  against  25%  assistance  available  for  male  farmers  for  storage infrastructure projects and other infrastructure projects.
-  Additional Financial Assistance under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization  (SMAM) :  10%  additional  assistance  is  available  for  women under SMAM for Procurement of Agriculture Machinery/Equipment including Post Harvest equipment
-  Support for Women under National Food Security Mission (NFSM): 10%  additional  assistance  is  available  for  women  under  Plant Protection equipments including eco- friendly light trap and seed treatment drum as well as supply of improved farm implements.

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