Lok Sabha Question No. 336 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-30
Subject: Gender mainstreaming in Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Midhun Reddy, Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil, Talari Rangaiah, Kuruva Gorantla Madhav, Adala Prabhakara Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 336 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 th NOVEMBER, 2021

## GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN AGRICULTURE

336. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY:

SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

SHRI TALARI RANGAIAH:

SHRI KURUVA GORANTLA MADHAV:

SHRI ADALA PRABHAKARA REDDY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं कसान कल् याण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  taking  any  steps  to  push  the  agenda  of  'Gender Mainstreaming  in  Agriculture'  by  way  of  allocating  funds  for  women  under  various schemes/programmes;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are able to empower the women farmers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं कसान कल् याण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (b) : The  guidelines  of  the  various  beneficiary  oriented  schemes  of  Ministry  of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provide that States and other implementing agencies should incur atleast 30% expenditure on women farmers. These schemes include Support to State Extension  Programmes for Extension  Reforms,  National  Food  Security Mission,  National Mission on Oilseed & Oil Palm, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, Sub-Mission for Seed and Planting Material, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.

The Central Institute for  Women  in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA), Bhubaneswar functioning  under  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  is  mandated  to  undertake research  on  gender  issues  in  agriculture  and  allied  fields,  through  its  13  All  India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) centres spread across 12 States in the country. Hundred per cent budget of this institute is allocated to conduct research on gender specific issues  in agriculture and allied areas.

Mahila  Kisan  Sashaktikaran  Pariyojana  (MKSP),  a  sub-component  of  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is under implementation  in  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  since  2011  with  the  aim  to  empower women  by  making  systematic  investments  to  enhance  their  participation  in  agriculture based livelihoods. It is a demand driven programme implemented in project mode through the  State  Rural  Livelihoods  Missions  as  Project  Implementing  Agencies.  In  DAY-NRLM, there is no State-wise budget allocation for every year.

( c) & (d) : The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  (MoA&FW)  under  Central Sector  Scheme  of  'Formation  and  Promotion  of  10,000  Farmer  Producer  Organisations (FPOs)'  has  made  special  provisions  in  the  operational  guidelines  to  empower  women farmers such as providing special focus, inter-alia, to include women farmers/women SHGs , as members to make FPOs more effective and inclusive; and making provision  to prefer women farmers' as its shareholders.

Under  DAY-NRLM,  women  owned  Producers  Enterprises  are  being  promoted  to provide better market access to their farm produce through aggregation and value addition. These  Producers  Enterprises  are  formal  entities  registered  under  Producers  Company, Cooperative and Trust Act. The Producers Enterprises are being supported for setting for value addition infrastructure, commodity procurement, and capacity building of members. Till  date,  181  Producers  Enterprises  have  been  promoted  under  DAY-NRLM.  Further, convergence  has  been  established  with  the  MoA&FW  and    another  100  women  owned FPOs have been promoted under the Central Sector scheme 'Formation & Promotion of 10,000 FPOs'.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is promoting FPOs under its dedicated funds viz. PRODUCE Fund and Producers Organizations Development Fund (PODF) towards collectivization of farmers for enhancing income by way of providing better market accessibility for their farm produce. Women are an integral part of FPOs and therefore,  farmer  members  both  men  &  women  are  mobilized  during  its  formation  stage through awareness creation.   NABARD has promoted 5073 FPOs under PRODUCE Fund and PODF, out of which 178 FPOs are exclusive women FPOs comprising of 0.74 lakh shareholder women members. Various activities have been undertaken by these women FPOs  in  the  areas  of  animal  husbandry,  poultry,  seed,  mushroom,  spices,  millets, beekeeping, etc.

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