Lok Sabha Question No. 257 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Role of Women in Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Goddeti Madhavi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 257

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 05 th  DECEMBER, 2023

## ROLE OF WOMEN IN FARMING

## 257. SHRIMATI GODDETI MADHAVI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to encourage the participation of women in decision making bodies related to natural farming, such as farmers' organizations and cooperatives;
- (b) the steps being taken to address the gender gap in agricultural extension services;
- (c) the steps being taken to ensure that women farmers have access to information and training on natural farming practices; and
- (d) the steps being taken to promote the role of women in the value chain for natural farming produce, including processing, packaging, and marketing?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (d): The Government of India is promoting natural farming since 2019-20 under Bharatiya  Prakritik  Krishi  Paddhati  (BPKP),  a  sub  scheme  of  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas Yojana  (PKVY).  Keeping  in  view  of  the  strength  of  Natural  Farming  and  the  success achieved in some states, BPKP is being up-scaled in Mission Mode as separate scheme as 'National  Mission  on  Natural  Farming'  (NMNF).  The  implementation  of  NMNF  including pre-production,  production  and  post  production  activities  are  being  planned  through Community  Based  Organizations  i.e.  through  women  Self  Help  Group(SHGs),  and  their federations  -  Krishi  Sakhis,  Pashu  Sakhis  etc.  These  agencies  may  also  be  the  ideal choices  for  setting  up  and/or  operation  of  Bio-input  Resource  centers  and  also  act  as extended branches of various central institutions for mission implementation.
- (b): To  address  the  gender  gap  in  agricultural  extension  services,  under  'Support  to State  Extension  Programmes  for  Extension  Reforms'  popularly  known  as  Agriculture Technology  Management  Agency  (ATMA),  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  has  made adequate provisions for women in farming. As per ATMA guidelines, women's food security groups are promoted. To ensure household food and nutritional security, Farm Women's Food Security Groups (FSGs) @ at least 2 per block are to be formed each year. These FSGs are supported for training, publication and access to inputs @ Rs.10000 per group. These  FSGs  also  serve  as  'Model  Food  Security  Hubs'  through  establishing  kitchen

garden, backyard poultry, goatery, animal husbandry & dairying, mushroom cultivation, etc. Further, as per ATMA guidelines, 30% of the beneficiaries should be women farmers/farm women.  Also  the  guideline  under  4.1.4 (i)  Minimum  30%  of  resources  meant  for programmes  and  activities  are  required  to  be  allocated  to  women  farmers  and  women extension functionaries. As per guidelines, in the ATMA Governing body, out of the nonofficial  members  so  nominated,  one-third  would  be  women  farmers.  Further,  the  Block Farmer Advisory Committee (BFAC) and State Farmers Advisory Committee (SFAC) will have at least one third members as women among the progressive farmers. The District Farmers  Advisory  Committee  (DFAC)  should  also  give  adequate  representation to women. The  Gender  Coordinator  under  ATMA  will  perform  the  following  functions  to safeguard the interest of women famers.

-  Ensure flow of benefits under all schemes to women farmers.
-  Collection  of  gender  dis-aggregated  data,  and  conducting  studies  and  action research in critical thrust areas
-  Promote Farm women's Food Security Groups and prepare training module so as to ensure household food security.
-  Document  the  best  practices/  Success  Stories/  Participatory  Material  Production related to women in Agriculture
-  Block-wise documentation, prioritization and addressal of farm women's needs and requirements in agriculture and all allied sectors
-  Will report to State Coordinator in r/o gender related information

Women  are  also  considered  to  serve  as  farmer  friend  in  the  villages  to  support innovative  activities  under  ATMA.  Under  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  of  Agri.  Clinics  and Agri.  Business  Centres  (AC&ABC)  of  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers'  Welfare, women beneficiaries are receiving 44% as subsidy while others will get 36%.

(c): National  Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE),  the  Nodal organization  and  knowledge  repository  for  Bhartiya  Prakritik  Krishi  Padhati  (BPKP)  has conducted  997  One  Day  Awareness  Programs  for  Gram  Pradhans  on  Natural  Farming covering  56,952  Gram  Pradhans  across  the  country.  Out  of  which,  17626  are  women participants  given  at Annexure-I. A  web  page  on  Natural  Farming  and  Knowledge Repository  has  been  created  and  information  related  to  natural  farming  collected  from various  Research  and  Academic  organizations  have  been  uploaded  in  website  for  the benefit  of  various  stake  holders  including  women  farmers. Study  material  on  Natural Farming prepared in 22 regional languages for Gram Pradhans has been shared during the Gram Pradhans awareness program for the benefit of farmers including women farmers.

## State-wise details of trained Gram Pradhans on Natural Farming by MANAGE

| Sl. No.   | State Name        |   Total No of Programs |   Participants - Male |   Participants - Female |   Total |
|-----------|-------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|---------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    |                     94 |                  1625 |                    1600 |    3225 |
| 2         | Assam             |                     66 |                  2529 |                     410 |    2939 |
| 3         | Bihar             |                    157 |                  3820 |                    3384 |    7204 |
| 4         | Gujarat           |                    239 |                  7178 |                    3244 |   10422 |
| 5         | Haryana           |                     21 |                  1599 |                     151 |    1750 |
| 6         | Himachal Pradesh  |                     62 |                  1334 |                    1429 |    2763 |
| 7         | Jammu and Kashmir |                     11 |                   238 |                      60 |     298 |
| 8         | Jharkhand         |                     95 |                  9057 |                    1819 |   10876 |
| 9         | Karnataka         |                     25 |                   830 |                     677 |    1507 |
| 10        | Kerala            |                     24 |                   309 |                     346 |     655 |
| 11        | Maharashtra       |                     42 |                  1329 |                     438 |    1767 |
| 12        | Meghalaya         |                     55 |                  1601 |                     740 |    2341 |
| 13        | Nagaland          |                     19 |                  1161 |                     364 |    1525 |
| 14        | Punjab            |                     25 |                  1199 |                     186 |    1385 |
| 15        | Sikkim            |                      8 |                   252 |                     183 |     435 |
| 16        | Tamil Nadu        |                     40 |                  4641 |                    2465 |    7106 |
| 17        | Telangana         |                      1 |                    40 |                      19 |      59 |
| 18        | Uttarakhand       |                     13 |                   584 |                     111 |     695 |
|           | Grand Total       |                    997 |                 39326 |                   17626 |   56952 |

******