Indian Women Can Start Second Green Revolution: Minister

Women have the power to start the second green revolution in India, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has said.

Speaking at the at the Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas celebrations in New Delhi on on Sunday (Oct 15), Singh said that all women need is opportunities and adequate facilities to venture into the right direction.

He spoke about the various government policies and initiatives like organic farming, self-employment scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana that can help women.

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Singh contended how women play crucial roles in agricultural activities like labour supervision and post-harvest operations. "To strengthen women's participation in agriculture and allied activities and to improve their access to land, loans and other facilities, the ministry has policy provisions like joint leasing for both domestic and agricultural land under National Policy for Farmers," he added.

Singh said that the ministry’s aim is to continue encouraging women’s participation in the agricultural sector.

In the last one year, the agriculture ministry formed 21 techniques related to women. It also trained 2.56 lakh women in animal husbandry and poultry

"Therefore, proper structural, functional and institutional measures are being promoted to empower women, to build their abilities and to increase their access to input technology and other agricultural resources and various initiatives have been taken in this regard," he said.

He told the audience that in last one year the ministry evaluated 21 techniques related to women. It also trained 2.56 lakh women in animal husbandry and poultry.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation shows that women’s contribution to agriculture stands at approximately 32%. While 48 per cent women have agriculture-related employment, 7.5 crore women are working in milk production and livestock management.

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There may be a good percentage of women having jobs in the agricultural sector, yet they don’t majorly own land rights. Even after doing two-third of the entire farm work, they own disturbingly low percentage of land. The data on any survey or research does not reflect women’s work in farms.

To really help increase women’s percentage in agricultural activities, the ministry should support equal land rights bill. It will also help boost farm production. The father of Green Revolution, MS Swaminathan, himself drafted the land rights equality bill but the legislators rejected it.

Picture credit- Greengrants

More Stories by Poorvi Gupta

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