Lok Sabha Question No. 451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Women engaged in Agriculture
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. 451

TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  December, 2025

## WOMEN ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE

## 451. DR. GUMMA THANUJA RANI:

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

- (a) the  number  of  women  engaged  in  agriculture  and  allied  sectors,  including  those working as unpaid family labour or without formal land ownership; (b) the steps taken by the Government to provide minimum wages, credit, insurance and welfare benefits to women farmers without land titles; (c) the number of women registered under the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) and similar Central schemes, State-wise including Andhra Pradesh; and the measures proposed to reduce gender wage gaps, ensure access to technology
- (d) and extension services, and formally recognize women as independent farmers?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  The  Government  is  implementing  several  schemes  for  farmers,  including  women farmers,  according  to  existing  eligibility  rules.  The  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment launched the eShram portal. As on 25 th  November, 2025, more than 16.25 crore workers from agriculture and allied sectors are registered on the portal, including over 8.04 crore women workers. According to the Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS) Annual  Report 2023-24 , 76.9% of women in rural areas and 12.3% of women in urban areas and total 64.4% population employed in agriculture sector.

(b):The Code on Wages, 2019 ensures universal minimum wage coverage for all workers, including  unorganised  workers  such  as  women  farmers  without  land  titles.  It  authorizes both  Central  and  State  Governments  to  set  and  revise  minimum  wages  and  includes gender-neutral provisions that prohibit wage discrimination for the same or similar work.

(c): Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), a sub-scheme of DAY-NRLM, aims to empower  women  in  agriculture  by  strengthening  women's  community  institutions  and promoting  sustainable  farming,  improved  livestock  management,  and  scientific  NonTimber Forest Produce (NTFP) cultivation/collection. Under DAY-NRLM and MKSP, 4.86 crore  women  farmer  households  have  been  supported  in  adopting  agro-ecological  and improved livestock management practices (placed at Annexure ) .

(d):  Under  DAY-NRLM,  over  3  lakh  Community  Resource  Persons  from  SHG  members have  been  trained  and  deployed  to  provide  support  and  extension  services  to  women farmer  households.  Through  collaboration  between  MoRD  and  MoA&FW,  70,021  Krishi Sakhi have  been trained and certified as Agriculture Para  Extension Workers to promote natural  farming.  The  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  recognises  Pashu Sakhi  as  AHELP (Accredited Agent for Health and  Extension  of Livestock  Production)  to provide  livestock  health  and  extension  services,  enhancing  women's  empowerment  and rural development.

The  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW)  through  Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes (FMTTIs) providing training to women farmers on gender-friendly tools and equipments through customized programs and field demonstrations.  Under  the  Sub  Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM)  scheme, women farmers receive 50% subsidy on agricultural machinery.

Under the ATMA programme, a part of the Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE), agricultural extension  activities  are  carried  out  for  all  farmers,  including  women. The scheme operates in 734 districts across 28 States and 5 UTs , providing Grants-in-Aid to help States deliver the latest agricultural technologies and best practices. As per ATMA guidelines,  at  least  30%  of  resources  are  earmarked  for  women  farmers  and  women extension workers .

The Government through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) promotes the adoption of new agricultural and  allied  technologies  through  technology  assessment, demonstrations, and  capacity  building for  both  extension  functionaries  and  farmers,  including  women farmers across the States.  Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Central Institute for Women  in  Agriculture  (ICAR-CIWA),  Bhubaneswar  creates  awareness  and  conducts capacity  building  programmes  among  farm  women  for  better  access  to  technologies  & Information, and promotes Self Help Group-led income generating activities to strengthen economic independence.

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Annexure The State-Wise Mahila Kisans covered under Agro-Ecological Practices (AEP) in Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) scheme is given below: (in Lakh)

| Sr. No.   | States/UTs          |   Mahila Kisan under (AEP) upto October' 2025 |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andaman And Nicobar |                                          0.03 |
| 2.        | Andhra Pradesh      |                                         50.34 |
| 3.        | Arunachal Pradesh   |                                          1.19 |
| 4.        | Assam               |                                         32.39 |
| 5.        | Bihar               |                                         48.26 |
| 6.        | Chhattisgarh        |                                         13.88 |
| 7.        | Goa                 |                                          0.09 |
| 8.        | Gujarat             |                                         20.48 |
| 9.        | Haryana             |                                          0.91 |
| 10.       | Himachal Pradesh    |                                          3.37 |
| 11.       | Jammu And Kashmir   |                                          5.52 |
| 12.       | Jharkhand           |                                         24.24 |
| 13.       | Karnataka           |                                         26.98 |
| 14.       | Kerala              |                                          8.88 |
| 15.       | Ladakh              |                                          0.03 |
| 16.       | Madhya Pradesh      |                                         22.42 |
| 17.       | Maharashtra         |                                         45.41 |
| 18.       | Manipur             |                                          0.24 |
| 19.       | Meghalaya           |                                          2.57 |
| 20.       | Mizoram             |                                          0.69 |
| 21.       | Nagaland            |                                          0.95 |
| 22.       | Odisha              |                                         26.66 |
| 23.       | Puducherry          |                                          0.26 |
| 24.       | Punjab              |                                          2.23 |
| 25.       | Rajasthan           |                                         25.82 |
| 26.       | Sikkim              |                                          0.4  |
| 27.       | Tamil Nadu          |                                         22.39 |
| 28.       | Telangana           |                                         30.86 |
| 29.       | Tripura             |                                          3.33 |
| 30.       | Uttar Pradesh       |                                         36.04 |
| 31.       | Uttarakhand         |                                          4.02 |
| 32.       | West Bengal         |                                         25.46 |
| Total     | Total               |                                        486.34 |

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