Lok Sabha Question No. 2626 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-02
Subject: Women in Agriculture Sector
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: VIRENDRA  KUMAR

O.I.H

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2626

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  AUGUST, 2016

## WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR

2626.     DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:

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

- (a) whether a large number of women in the country are engaged in agricultural activities and the gender ratio in respect of the agricultural activities has increased during the last some years; and
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  thereon  for upliftment of women in the agriculture sector?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam.   As per Census 2011,  Sixty five percent (65%) of the total female workers in India are engaged in agriculture.  Of the total cultivators (118.7 million), 30.3% are female.  Out  of  144.3  million  agricultural  labourers  42.6  %  are  Women.  In  2001,  female agricultural labourers were 21% which increased to  23% in 2011.

The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  implements  various programmes of farmers including women in agriculture sector. As per directives for the Women Component Plan, the State Governments have been asked to ensure flow of funds to the tune of 30% for the benefit of women farmers.

The  guidelines  of  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme/Missions  such  as  Support  to  State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension(SMAE), National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Oil Seed and Oil Palm and  National  Mission  on  Sustainable  Agriculture,  Sub-Mission  for  Seed  &  Planting  Material, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization and Mission for Integrated Development  of Horticulture  (MIDH)  stipulate  that  States  and  other  Implementing  Agencies  are  required  to earmark at least 30 % expenditure on Women Farmers.

The primary objective of  'Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)' implemented by  Ministry of Rural Development is to empower women in agriculture by making systematic investments  to  enhance  their  participation  and  productivity,  as  also  create  and  sustain agriculture based livelihoods of rural women. Under the Pariyojana, projects are conceived in such a manner that the skill base of the women in agriculture is enhanced to enable them to pursue their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.

The measures taken by the Government for upliftment of women in the agriculture sector are placed at Annexure I.

## Annexure I

The  measures  taken  by  the  Government  for  upliftment  of  women  in  the  agriculture include:

1.  Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Support to States Extension Programme for Extension Reforms, mainstreaming gender concerns in agriculture is being addressed by ensuring utilization of minimum 30% of resources on programmes and activities for women  farmers  and  women  extension  functionaries.  In  order  to  encourage  women farmers'  participation  in  planning  and  decision  making  process,  their  representation  in Farmers' Advisory Committee at Block, District and State level has been provided under the Scheme's guidelines.
2.  Under Sub Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP), the training is provided under  the  components  of  the  Scheme  Seed  Village  Programme  and  Quality  Control Arrangement of Seeds in which women  farmers are equally benefitted. State Governments are also advised to allocate adequate funds to women farmers.
3.  Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) implemented in 28 states, 30% of allocation of fund is being earmark for women farmer. There is also an intervention under NFSM providing cropping system based training to farmers including SC, ST and women farmers  to  create  awareness  on  improved  technology  for  increasing  production  and productivity  of  crops.  State  governments  are  implementing  the  NFSM  as  per  the provisions of the guideline.
4.  Under the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), 30% of budgetary allocation is being  earmarked for women beneficiaries/farmers. Concerned implementing agencies  will  be  responsible  for  monitoring  implementation  of  these  components  i.e. allocation of resources for SC/ST/Women beneficiaries and maintenance of database for the same.
5.  Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), 31 drudgery reducing technologies for women in agriculture developed by ICAR are promoted through training, demonstration  and  financial  assistance.  Women  beneficiaries  are  also  provided  10% additional financial assistance for purchase  of various agricultural  machines  and equipments.  Farm  Machinery  Training  and  Testing  Institutes  conducts  training  on Agricultural Mechanization for women farmers on regular basis and in the year, 2014-15, 936 women farmers were trained.
6.  Under the National Horticulture Mission, women are organized into Self Help Groups and farm inputs and technological & extension supports are provided to make women self-reliant.
7.  The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  established  a  network  of  645 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country aiming at assessment and demonstration of technologies/products  and  its  dissemination  through  number  of  extension  programmes including training of  farmers  to update  their  knowledge  and  skill.  These  training programmes are conducted by KVKs on improved technologies related to agriculture and allied  fields  and  have  benefited  the farmers in  terms of  increased  crop  production  and improved  farm  income.  During  2015-16,    as  many  as  205  women  specific  income generation  technologies  related  to  technological  empowerment  of  rural  women  were assessed  in  394  locations  covering  2917  trials  under  the  thematic  areas,  namely Drudgery  Reduction, Farm  Mechanization, Health   and Nutrition, Processing and Value

Addition,  Production  and  Management,  Energy  Conservation,  Small  Scale  Income Generation,  and  Storage  Techniques.    The  major  enterprises  included  mushroom, sericulture, vermicompost production, nutritional gardens etc.  339681 Farm women were trained in the crop production training programmes.

8.  ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA) has been in the forefront undertaking  research  on  issues  affecting  women  in  agriculture.  It  has  focused  on participatory  action  research  in  different  technology  based  theme  areas  involving  rural women to test suitability of technologies for women and suggest their refinement. The Institute  is  also  working  to  catalyse  and  facilitate  R  &  D  institutions  to  bring  in  farm women perspectives in their programmes. For gender mainstreaming and empowering women in agriculture, various projects are being implemented to address issues related to  women  in  agriculture  in  the  areas  of  integrated  farming  system,  IPM,  drudgery, livestock and fisheries, extension methodologies and gender indices etc. Drudgery faced by  farm  women  in  various  agricultural  operations  including  household are  being addressed  with  quantifiable  data  on  the  required  parameters  and  designing/  refining women  friendly  farm  tools  &  equipment.  It is also working  on  gender  sensitive approaches  and  methodologies  to  enhance  access  of  women  to  critical  resources, programmes  and  services  which  are  critical  for  women's  empowerment  in  agriculture. Since  women  in  agriculture  is  a  new  area  of  research,  capacity  building  of  all  the stakeholders  are  being  organized  through  sensitization  programmes  for  development functionaries,  research  scientists/  managers,  teachers  and  KVKs  scientists/  SMS  who are  directly  or  indirectly  associated  with  farm  women  empowerment  by  ICAR-CIWA  at different places in the country.

********