Srinagar, Aug 07: Women account for 74.73 per cent of the workforce engaged in agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir, compared with the national figure of 59.81 per cent, while holdings operated by women account for 7.6 per cent of total operational holdings in the Union Territory, according to data tabled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Rajya Sabha.
The figures come from two different datasets. The workforce figure is based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, while the figure for operational holdings operated by women comes from the Agriculture Census 2015-16. The national share of such holdings was 13.96 per cent.
J&K recorded the fourth-highest share of women in the agricultural workforce among States and Union Territories, after Rajasthan at 78.12 per cent, Himachal Pradesh at 77.34 per cent and Jharkhand at 75.57 per cent. Bihar followed J&K at 74.58 per cent.
The data was given in response to an unstarred question by MP Smt. Renuka Chowdhury on women engaged in agriculture and allied activities. Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur gave the reply.
Support for women farmers
Asked whether women engaged in agriculture without land titles are recognised as farmers for government schemes, institutional credit, crop insurance, compensation and other agricultural benefits, the government referred to various schemes being implemented to support women farmers.
The Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development has also written to all States and Union Territories to introduce a gender column in the Record of Rights to help extend credit, insurance and other benefits to women farmers.
Under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme, female account holders accounted for around 22 per cent of the 5.4 crore beneficiaries receiving agricultural credit subsidy during 2024-25. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, 21 per cent of enrolled farmers were women during 2024-25. The government said the crop insurance scheme allows willing farmers, including sharecroppers, tenant farmers and women farmers, to enrol.
Under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency scheme, at least 30 per cent of resources meant for programmes and activities are required to be allocated to women farmers and women extension functionaries.
The government also said women beneficiaries under the Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing receive assistance at a higher rate of 33.33 per cent, compared with 25 per cent for other beneficiaries.
Under the scheme for formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations, special provisions have been made to include women farmers and women Self Help Groups as members. The government said 914 FPOs have 100 per cent women shareholders.
Under the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation, women farmers are eligible for financial assistance of 50 per cent of the cost of machinery. The government also said 2,18,66,774 women beneficiaries received benefits under the 23rd instalment of PM-KISAN.
No specific legislative proposal
On whether the government is considering legislative or policy measures to formally recognise women cultivators and tenant women farmers irrespective of land ownership, the reply did not mention any specific legislative proposal. It referred instead to existing schemes and the move to introduce a gender column in land records to improve women’s access to credit, insurance and other agricultural benefits.
