Lok Sabha Question No. 3066 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Assistance to Women Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3066

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 nd  MARCH, 2022

## ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN FARMERS

3066.  SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  assist  women  farmers  and  agriculture laborers under any scheme;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether there is any special policy measure to ensure the maximum participation of women in agriculture startups; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b) : The Government is implementing various schemes and programmes for providing assistance  to  the  farmers  including  women  farmers  and  agriculture  labourers  as  per eligibility and conditions existing in scheme guidelines.

The guidelines of the various beneficiary oriented schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provide that States and  other  implementing  agencies  should  incur  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  Sector  Scheme  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  (PM-KISAN)  is  being implemented  by  DA&FW  since  1 st December,  2018  with  the  aim  of  providing  financial assistance  to  landholding  farmer  families  including  women  farmers  across  the  country, subject  to  certain  exclusion  criteria,  to  enable  them  to  take  care  of  expenses  related  to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.  Under the Scheme, an amount of  Rs.  6000/-  per  year  is  transferred  in  three  4-monthly  installments  of  Rs.2000/-  directly into the bank accounts of the farmers.

Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission with the aim to  empower  women  by  making  systematic investments to enhance  their participation and productivity, as also to create sustainable livelihoods of rural women. It is a  demand  driven  programme  implemented  in  project  mode  through  the  State  Rural Livelihoods Mission as Project Implementing Agencies.

The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  through  its  network  of  Krishi  Vigyan Kendras  (KVKs)  in  the  country  organize  demonstrations,  training  programs  and  skill development programs for the benefit of farmers and farm women.

The  Government  is  providing  social  security to  the  workers  of  the  unorganised  sector including  agricultural  labourers  as  per  the  eligibility  criteria  through  its    welfare  schemes relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection etc.

(  c)  &  (  d)  :  The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers Welfare has  launched a  component called  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development'  under  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas Yojana  (RKVY-RAFTAAR)  in  2018-19  with  an  objective  to  promote  innovation  and agrientrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. This  Ministry  has  appointed  Knowledge  Partners  (KPs)  as  Centres  of  Excellence  and RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country for implementation  this  programme.  So  far,  213  women  startups/  entrepreneurs  have  been supported under the 'Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development' programme.

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