Lok Sabha Question No. 3592 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: Support for Women Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3592

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## SUPPORT FOR WOMEN FARMERS

3592. Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani:

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

- (a) whether the Government has implemented any schemes for providing financial and infrastructural support to women farmers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has any data on number of women beneficiaries under PMKISAN scheme; if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (d)  the steps taken to impart training and awareness about various central schemes in agricultural sector?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)

- (a ) & ( b) : The Government is implementing schemes and programmes for the farmers including women farmers for providing financial and infrastructural support, as per the eligibility and conditions existing in the scheme guidelines.

The brief details of the schemes for providing infrastructural and financial support to the farmers including women farmers are as below:

- i. As part  of  the  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  initiative,  the  Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund (AIF) was launched in 2020 to promote sustainable agriculture by supporting the development  of  agricultural  infrastructure  across  India.  This  initiative  aims  to empower farmers including women farmers and boost their incomes by facilitating medium- to long-term loans through lending institutions at a maximum interest rate of 9%. Under the AIF, loans are offered for infrastructure projects at farm- gate and

aggregation points. Additionally, the scheme benefits borrowers from an interest subvention of 3% per annum for a duration of up to seven years for loans up to ₹2 crore. To further support borrowers, the initiative includes credit guarantee support by way of reimbursement of credit guarantee fees for loans up to ₹2 crore for 7 years, reducing the financial risks for both lenders and borrowers.

- ii. Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), is a capital investment, open ended, demand driven and credit linked scheme wherein back ended subsidy @ 25% and 33.33% is available based on the eligible category of beneficiary. Assistance is available to Individuals, Farmers including women farmers, Group of farmers/growers, Agri-preneurs, Registered Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs), Cooperatives, and state agencies etc.
- iii. The Central Sector Scheme 'Namo drone Didi' for providing drones to the women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs.1261 Crores has been approved. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental  services  to  farmers  for  agriculture  purpose  (application  of  fertilizers  and pesticides).
- iv. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which assistance is available for farmers including women farmers for  development of Post Harvest Management (PHM) for perishable horticulture crops which includes establishment of  pack  house,  Integrated  pack  house,  pre-cooling,  staging  cold  room,  cold storages,  controlled  atmosphere  (CA)  storage,  reefer  transport,  primary/mobile processing units, setting up of ripening chambers and Integrated cold chain supply system etc.
- v. Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  under which the funds are released to the State Governments as Grants-in-Aid on the basis of projects in Agriculture & allied sectors. RKVY is primarily a project oriented scheme, the benefit of which is available to all sections of the farming community including women.
- vi. The Central Sector Scheme National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) is being  implemented    for  promoting  scientific  beekeeping  for  holistic  growth  of beekeeping  industry  for  income  &  employment  generation,  providing  livelihood support  to  farm  and  nonfarm  households,  to  enhance  agriculture  /  horticulture production. The scheme is being implementing through 3 Mini Missions (MMs) MM-I, MM-II & MM-III under which thrust is given on awareness, capacity building/ trainings,  focus  on  women  empowerment  through  beekeeping,  setting  up  of requisite infrastructural facilities, viz.; Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), Honeybees Disease Diagnostic Labs, Setting/ upgradation of Honey Testing labs, Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing Units, Custom Hiring Centres, Api-therapy Centres, Development of Quality Nucleus Stock Centres & Bee Breeders, etc. under MM-I, Processing, Value-Addition, Market Support, etc. under MM-II and Research & Technology generation under MM-III.
- vii. The  Department  of  Rural  Development,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is implementing  the scheme 'Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)', as a sub component of DAY-NRLM Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) with the objective to empower women by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity and create sustainable  livelihoods  of  rural  women.  Mahila  Kisans  are  provided  financial support for establishing primary and secondary processing units. Farmer Producer Groups  formed  under  the  scheme  are  also  provided  support  for  marketing infrastructure for collective marketing.

(c):  The  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  (PM-KISAN)  is  a  Central  Sector Scheme,  being  implemented  w.e.f.  1st  December,  2018.  The  Scheme  aims  at providing  financial  assistance  to  all  landholding  farmers  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. The Statewise details of women beneficiaries benefitted by 18 th  Instalment under PM-KISAN (as on  03.12.2024) is at Annexure.

(d): The trainings are imparted to the farmers under the various Centrally Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, as per the eligibility in the scheme guidelines. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA),Bhubaneswar  and Krishi Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  established  by  the  ICAR,  New  Delhi  are  also  conducting trainings  programmes  for  the  farmers  including  women  farmers  in  the  agricultural sector on specific topics. The information about the schemes being implemented by the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  is  also  being  disseminated  through electronic media, print media and social media platforms. Also, the events, workshops, seminars and exhibitions are organised for the awareness and information dissemination about the schemes in the agricultural sector. In addition, Krishi Sakhis trained, certified and recognised as Para Agriculture Extension workers by the Ministry of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare  and  their services  are  being  utilised for  creating awareness on various central schemes in agriculture sector.

## Annexure

The State-wise details of women beneficiaries benefitted by 18 th  Instalment under PMKISAN( as on 03.12.2024)

|   # | State/UT                    | Women Beneficiaries Count   |
|-----|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|   1 | Andaman And Nicobar Islands | 4,758                       |
|   2 | Andhra Pradesh              | 14,08,093                   |
|   3 | Arunachal Pradesh           | 47,925                      |
|   4 | Assam                       | 4,37,715                    |
|   5 | Bihar                       | 23,33,893                   |
|   6 | Chhattisgarh                | 4,77,003                    |
|   7 | Delhi                       | 1,834                       |
|   8 | Goa                         | 862                         |
|   9 | Gujarat                     | 13,31,953                   |
|  10 | Haryana                     | 2,62,934                    |
|  11 | Himachal Pradesh            | 1,38,880                    |
|  12 | Jammu And Kashmir           | 88,240                      |
|  13 | Jharkhand                   | 5,63,750                    |
|  14 | Karnataka                   | 10,49,431                   |
|  15 | Kerala                      | 12,36,856                   |
|  16 | Ladakh                      | 2,953                       |
|  17 | Lakshadweep                 | 1,098                       |
|  18 | Madhya Pradesh              | 16,28,404                   |
|  19 | Maharashtra                 | 17,78,600                   |
|  20 | Manipur                     | 47,211                      |
|  21 | Meghalaya                   | 1,04,507                    |

| 22   | Mizoram                                      | 46,252      |
|------|----------------------------------------------|-------------|
| 23   | Nagaland                                     | 94,919      |
| 24   | Odisha                                       | 7,54,601    |
| 25   | Puducherry                                   | 2,941       |
| 26   | Punjab                                       | 7,058       |
| 27   | Rajasthan                                    | 22,01,131   |
| 28   | Sikkim                                       | 6,897       |
| 29   | Tamil Nadu                                   | 4,91,253    |
| 30   | Telangana                                    | 8,67,620    |
| 31   | The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu | 2,662       |
| 32   | Tripura                                      | 51,376      |
| 33   | Uttar Pradesh                                | 42,12,328   |
| 34   | Uttarakhand                                  | 1,36,072    |
| 35   | West Bengal                                  | 8,15,031    |
|      | Grand Total                                  | 2,26,37,041 |