WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE

 

1.          NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 

Participation  of  the  beneficiaries  under  various programmes  at  each level of planning,  implementation  & operationalisation  of the project has improved.   In the  formation  of  self help groups and  water  user groups,  women have played vital role in the  project and also improved their socio-economic status.   The details are  annexed (II). 

2.          PLANT PROTECTION  : 

Women In Plant Protection  : 

Although the Indian women folk have been playing significant role in agriculture since times immoral, they have often been relegated to the background.  Even today, they are the major partner in almost all the agricultural activities and operations, be it sowing, transplanting, weeding, rouging, picking, plucking, harvesting or threshing.  But unfortunately, their contribution has not been fully recorded, recognized and rewarded.  In so-far-as plant protection is concerned, women are playing very vital role in weeding, rouging (of pest infested plants/parts) and also in the pesticidal spray operation etc. in every part of the country. 

A large number of women are being trained in IPM approach under the farmer field schools organised by Central and State Governments.  In the FAO-EU IPM Cotton Programme, almost thousand women have been trained in farmer field schools in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in the current financial year.  Women are also being increasingly involved in the production of bio-control agents in various parts of the country.  

  As such, there is an urgent need to increase the level of participation in plant protection skills and methods through special training programmes.  

3.          TMOP 

National perspective plan for Women farmers under OPP 

            The State Department of Agriculture who are the implementing agencies of the programme have been requested to make the women farmers beneficiaries of gender friendly farm implements. 

National Perspective Plan for Women Farmers under NPDP 

Preference is being given to women farmers under the scheme while giving assistance under various components of the programme. Assistance to the women farmers and small & marginal farmers for sprinkler set is to the extent of 50 per cent of the cost of the set subject to a maximum of Rs 15,000 where as others get an assistance at the rate of 33 per cent of the unit cost subject a maximum of Rs. 10,000. The state Departments of Agriculture who are the implementing agencies of the programme have been requested to given gender friendly farm implements to the women farmers. 

Women in AMDP 

             Efforts have been made to involve farm-women groups under both the programmes to perform the activities involved in maize production under AMDP implementing agencies have been requested to ensure that for farm level benefits the 25% of the benefits go to the women farmers/women groups.  Similarly, under UNDP Sub-programme on Maize the priority for implementing the programme activities is also being given to women under trainings, capacity building programmes, seed production and other programme activities like demonstrations, etc.   

4.          EXTENSION

Farm Women Development Programme 

The Central Sector Scheme of Women in Agriculture is under implementation in one district each in 15 States of the country during the year 2002-03 with a total outlay of Rs.12000 thousand.   Till September 2002 

®   450 viable groups of women farmers have been constituted and 9000 Farm Women are being trained.

®   225 Village Based Training Camps, 10 Link Workers Training Camps have been successfully organized for farm women and link workers.

®   Extension support has been provided to the enrolled farm women through 362 Result Demonstrations, 6 Study Tours and 4 Mahila Goshties.

®     52 Sandwich Trainings have been organized to train farm women of Phase II Districts/States. 

Externally Aided Projects for Training of Women in Agriculture 

Women Youth Training and Extension Project (WYTEP): Karnataka 

Ø                  The Project in its third phase is being implemented in all the districts of the  States from 1st June, 2000 for a period of 5 years with a total cost of Rs.459300 thousand.  The project is in now the consolidation phase.                       

Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture (TANWA) 

Ø                  The Project is in Phase-II and is being implemented in all districts of Tamil Nadu except urban  Madras with a total cost of Rs.33900 thousand.  During the year up to December, 2002, 9224 farm women have been trained, 356 skill based trainings conducted, 30,000 farm women trained under 300 spread effect training, 312 farm women group concretization trainings conducted, 31 networking conference organized, 609 field days and 447 model farm visits have been conducted. 

Training and Extension for Women in Agriculture (TEWA), Orissa 

Ø                 The project, which is in its Phase-II, is being implemented in eight districts of Orissa with a total cost of Rs.118500 thousand.  The project has been extended upto March, 2003.

Ø                 39,000 Farm Women are to be trained during 2002-2003 under the project.

Ø                 Approximately 443 groups of women farmers are being formed under the project against the target of 1200. 

Ø                  24 Farm Women Conferences are being organized during the year.
 

Training of Women in Agriculture (MAPWA), Madhya Pradesh 

Ø                  Phase-I of the project has been completed on 31st January, 2002.  The Phase-II of the Project has commenced from 1st February, 2002 covering 13 districts (7 existing + 6 new) with an outlay of Rs.131200 thousand for a period of four years.
 

Training of Women in Agriculture, Gujarat 

Ø                 The Project is in Phase-II.  It is being implemented in 12 districts with a total cost of Rs.121300 thousand with Dutch assistance.  The project has been extended upto 30^th September, 2003 under Budget Neutral Extension. 

Ø                 A proposal of Budget Neutral Extension of the project for a further period of one year for the consolidation/replication of Project activities is under consideration.
 

Andhra Pradesh Women in Agriculture (ANTWA) 

Ø                 The Project is in Phase-II and it is being extended to 6 more districts in addition to the 6 districts of Phase-I, thus making a total of 12 districts in Phase-II.  The Phase-II of the project became effective from 20^th August, 2001 for a period of 6 years with a total cost of Rs.440400 thousand. 

Expert Committee on Women in Agriculture 

Ø                 At the instance of the Agriculture Minister, an Expert Committee on ‘Women in Agriculture’ has been constituted to advise the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation on matters relating to Women in Agriculture. 

Ø                 The Committee has submitted an Interim Report.
 

Ø                 The approved recommendations contained in the Report have been translated into a Time Bound ‘Action Plan’ and have been circulated to all the Divisions/Departments/States as guidelines for developing programs/components.
 

Ø                 A series of meetings of Expert Committee on ‘Women in Agriculture’ have been convened to review the efforts initiated by various Divisions of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation on the suggested Action Plan.
 

Ø                 The reconstituted Expert Committee on ‘Women in Agriculture’ in its meeting has discussed and approved the Recommendations of the Sub-Group constituted by National Commission for Women on “Reducing Drudgery for Farm Women”.