Ranchi: The Jharkhand govt is working on a flagship programme aimed at boosting the income of women farmers through integrated farming system (IFS), with a proposal expected to come up in the state cabinet soon.“The proposed ‘Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojana’ (Women Farmer Prosperity Scheme) seeks to make women farmers economically self-reliant by linking agriculture with allied activities such as animal husbandry, fisheries, and horticulture,” agriculture minister Shipi Neha Tirkey said on Thursday.“The govt intends to promote integrated farming as a sustainable model for increasing farm income while creating multiple livelihood opportunities for rural women. The objective is to ensure year-round income generation by integrating various farm and allied activities on a single piece of land,” she added.“The scheme aligns with chief minister Hemant Soren’s vision of strengthening farmers’ livelihoods and expanding integrated farming practices across the state. Once the technical and administrative details are finalised, the proposal will be sent to the cabinet for approval,” she added.In its initial phase, the scheme proposes to develop an IFS on one acre of land for individual women farmers. Depending on local needs and conditions, the model may include components such as goat rearing, piggery, duck farming, dairy farming, fish farming and horticulture within a single farm unit.The department is preparing three to four models based on scientific and modern agricultural practices. It is also considering a limited beneficiary contribution to encourage ownership and participation among women farmers. A proposal to refund the contribution upon successful implementation of the project is under consideration, officials said.
