According to data, in India, around 84% of women depend on agriculture for their source of revenue. They make up about 33% of cultivators & about 47% of agricultural labourers. Agriculture Census conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare at an interval of every five years says that the percentage of female operational holdings in India has increased from 12.78% during 2010-11 to 13.78% during 2015-16.
Government has launched many schemes and programmes for women farmers and one of them is Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana or MKSP. While speaking in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that Centre is working hard to empower the women in agriculture by making systematic investments to increase their participation and productivity and also to create and sustain their agriculture-based livelihoods.
Tomar named Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana as the central agency to do so. As per latest reports, under Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, a total number of 36.06 lakh Mahila Kisans (women farmers) have been benefitted through 84 projects in different States as well as Union Territories in the country. And out of this, 1.81 lakh women farmers have been benefitted in the State of Maharashtra alone.
The agriculture minister added that a total Central allocation of Rs.847.48 crore has been made towards execution of the approved projects. In addition, out of the total amount, Rs. 52.15 crore has been allocated for projects in Maharashtra.
Tomar said we also help the women farmers through different Schemes like Agri-Clinic & Agri-Business Centre (ACABC), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Integrated Schemes of Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) and Sub-Mission of Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM).
What is Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana
MKSP, is a component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and it aims to boost not just women's participation in agriculture, but also increase their skills and capabilities to support farm-based activities & help women have better access to inputs as well as services of government & other agencies.
Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana primarily focuses on strengthening community institutions of poor female farmers & leveraging their strength to promote sustainable agriculture.
To know more click mksp.gov.in/
