AgriNation Network (ANN)

New Delhi | 09 March 2017

At the National Workshop on ‘strengthening of women cooperatives’ organized by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) on Women’s Day in New Delhi, Union Agri Minister, Radha Mohan Singh said, “Out of 8 lakh cooperatives in the country, only 20,014 cooperatives are run by women. To ascertain partnership of women in all of the schemes and programs, his ministry has earmarked 30 percent of funds for women”. He underlined the significance of providing financial help to women to strengthen women cooperatives in the country saying, “there is great potential for the development and success of women cooperatives”. He informed that National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides loan upto Rs. 50 lakh for programmes related to women cooperatives.

Minister also announced that 15th October every year would be celebrated as Women’s Farmer Day.

Almost 200 women from different cooperatives across the country participated in the workshop and interacted with each other about different schemes related to women cooperatives.

A Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar has been established for women agriculturalists by Indian Council for Agricultural Research. It is the first and only institute for the women associated with agriculture in the world. A gender knowledge portal has also been developed for women farmers in which the data and information related to women farmers have been displayed.

Minister also told about the compulsory deployment of one female scientist in every Krishi Vigyan Kendra. Currently, there are 668 Krishi Vigyan Kendras spread all over the country and 3.1 lakh female agriculturists have been trained during 2016-17 by these Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country.

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