Major crops cropping patterns in various

parts of the country

different types of irrigation and irrigation
systems
transport and marketing of agricultural
produce and issues and Page
related constraints
e-technology in the aid of farmers |1
Issues related to direct and indirect farm Farmers protest to
subsidies and minimum support prices increase MSP
Public Distribution System - objectives,
functioning, limitations, revamping
issues of buffer stocks and food security
Technology missions
economics of animal-rearing
Food processing and related industries scope and
in India significance
location
upstream
and downstream
requirements
supply chain
management
Land reforms in India
Climate change, agriculture and food security

Source: FAO Report “State of Food and Agriculture 2016 – Climate change, agriculture and
food security Page
Introduction |2
 Climate change is a growing threat to the agriculture sectors. The negative effects on
agricultural production and livelihoods of farmers, foresters and fisher folk are already
being felt in many places. They will only get worse overtime.
 Unless climate change is addressed, agricultural productivity will decline with serious
implications for food security. Millions of low-income people will be at risk of hunger and
poverty.
 The agriculture sectors also contribute to climate change due to their emissions of
greenhouse gases.
 In the Paris Agreement on climate change, concluded in December 2015, the
international community has recognized the need for urgent action and the role of the
agricultural sectors in addressing this challenge.
 It is essential that the country pledges that formed the basis of the 2015 Paris
Agreement on climate change are turned now into action.

Women farmers in India needs attention

Feminisation of Indian agriculture:

 Men working on farm migrating to cities in search of better livelihood. This kind of
migration of men leaves the woman in charge of the farm and household.
 The share of female labour in the agricultural workforce increased from 39.2% to
41.9% during the period 1999-2000 and 2004-05.
 Allied sectors like animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy are women friendly and
women intensive sector.
Thus, rural India is witnessing a process of feminisation of agriculture.
Issues related to women farmers:
1. Weakness in women’s Right to Land : Women are usually not as owners of land
assets within their families resulting in their inability to use land as collateral to obtain
credit that is crucial to the purchase of inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. This, in
turn, limits adoption of new technology.
2. Doubly burdened : Unlike male farmers, female farmers remained doubly burdened
since they have to rear children almost single-handedly.
3. Skill : Women still possessing outdated traditional knowledge of agriculture and
allied sectors i.e. livestock, fish etc. Women are left behind in the up-gradation of
their knowledge and skills.
4. Agricultural extension agents are a critically important source of technology
information to women farmers, given the generally lower levels of education of women
compared to men. Very less number of agricultural extension agents are women.

Way out:
 The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations stress upon promoting the
Page
development of rural female farmers’ organisations.
 Updating the legal codes to give women the legal rights of property ownership and credit, | 3
which can allow for increased food security.
 Mechanisation of agriculture: Rapid urbanisation and increased participation of
women in the labour force makes a great demand for women workforce. This calls for
developing technology which relieve women of “time burdens” in agricultural production
and maintenance without sacrificing their ability to earn independent incomes.
 Employing women agricultural extension workers is particularly important in
societies which forbid the interaction of women farmers with men agricultural extension
agents.
 Skill and Training
Conclusion:
In spite of the best efforts, the programmes aimed at women fail to realise the desired goals
as they are rarely designed and managed by women.
Connecting the dots:
 Feminisation of Indian agriculture is taking place. Discuss the reasons. Also critically
analyze the challenges faced by women farmers in India and elaborate on steps required
so as to improve the present scenario.