Ranchi, Sep 3: The Jharkhand government on Thursday held a state-level stakeholder consultation on its newly formulated Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana, aimed at empowering women farmers, improving their livelihoods and providing them better access to markets.
Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey, who attended the programme at Hotel Radisson Blu as the chief guest, said the scheme could bring about a significant transformation in the state’s traditional approach to farming and help reshape the future of agriculture in Jharkhand.
The consultation brought together women farmers and stakeholders associated with agriculture from across the state, with the government seeking their suggestions on the draft and implementation framework of the proposed scheme.
“The Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana will help transform the future of farming across Jharkhand and bring about meaningful changes in the concept of traditional farming in the coming years,” Tirkey said.
She emphasised that the consultation should not be treated as a mere formality and called for a focus on its outcome.
“The objective of the Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana is very broad. Through this scheme, we want to bring about meaningful changes in the way farming is viewed and practised across the state,” the minister said.
Tirkey pointed out that a majority of farmers in Jharkhand still depend on traditional farming practices. The new initiative, she said, seeks to promote a more practical and sustainable approach while creating better opportunities for women farmers.
The minister also underlined the importance of women’s participation in economic activities, saying their greater involvement could play a significant role in shaping the state’s economic direction.
“Greater participation of women in economic activities plays an important role in determining the economic direction of the state,” she said.
According to Agriculture Department Special Secretary Gopal Ji Tiwari, the scheme will focus on developing the capabilities of women farmers, increasing their participation in agricultural decision-making, improving market access and enhancing their income through value addition.
“The scheme aims to develop the capabilities of women farmers in the agricultural sector, ensure their participation in decision-making processes, provide them with better market access and increase their income through value addition,” Tiwari said.
He said the views of stakeholders and women farmers would be incorporated into the scheme to make it more effective and inclusive.
“The inputs received from stakeholders and the views of women farmers during this programme will help make the scheme more effective and inclusive,” he said.
Director of Agriculture Vidyanand Sharma Pankaj said the initiative was in line with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s vision of women’s empowerment and the Agriculture Minister’s efforts to promote the welfare of women farmers.
He described the proposed scheme as comprehensive and practical, with its focus firmly on improving the economic condition of beneficiaries.
“The scheme will be comprehensive, practical and focused on providing economic benefits to its beneficiaries,” Sharma said.
The consultation workshop was organised to obtain suggestions on the draft, structure and proposed benefits of the scheme before incorporating them into its final framework.
The programme also featured presentations on the concept and draft of the Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana, followed by an open-house discussion on its objectives, scope and Integrated Farming System (IFS) models.
JSLPS CEO Ananya Mittal said the initiative would further strengthen efforts towards women’s economic empowerment. She noted that around 3.2 lakh self-help groups involving nearly 32 lakh women are associated with the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society and are engaged in various livelihood activities.
“The Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana will certainly contribute to empowering women,” Mittal said.
She added that women associated with self-help groups were already using loans and various livelihood activities to strengthen their incomes.
Director of Animal Husbandry Robin Toppo said women were also benefiting from government-supported livelihood activities in the livestock sector, including poultry, piggery and duck farming.
“Women across the state are benefiting from activities such as poultry, piggery and duck farming and using them to improve their livelihoods,” he said.
Representatives of NABARD, lead banks, ICAR, Birsa Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Farmer Producer Organisations, along with agriculture department officials, participated in the consultation.
The government said inputs received from the participating stakeholders and women farmers would be considered while finalising the scheme, with the broader objective of ensuring that women become active participants in agricultural decision-making, value addition, market access and income generation.
