Now Reading: Women form 60% of farm workforce, Centre tells Lok Sabha
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Women form 60% of farm workforce, Centre tells Lok Sabha
Women made up nearly 60 per cent of India’s agricultural workforce in 2025, the government told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, citing the Periodic…
The Story in Brief
Women made up nearly 60 per cent of India’s agricultural workforce in 2025, the government told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey, said females accounted for 59.8 per cent of those engaged in farm activities from January to December 2025. He added that 41.1 per cent of female workers were self-employed in agriculture during the same period.
Replying to questions, Thakur said 2,18,66,774 women received benefits under the 23rd instalment of PM-KISAN, and 21 per cent of farmers enrolled under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana in 2024-25 were women. Gross cropped area rose from 198.28 million hectares in 2014-15 to 225.19 million hectares in 2024-25, and cropping intensity improved from 142.2 per cent to 159.7 per cent. Separately, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said tobacco exports grew 53.1 per cent in quantity and 166.5 per cent in value over the past decade.
The Indian Opinion
The numbers flatter, but do not tell the full story. Women may be 60 per cent of farm workers, yet the government’s own schemes count land ownership, which women rarely hold. The 41.1 per cent figure for self-employed women says little about pay or decision-making power. Similarly, tobacco export growth is real, but a health ministry would call it a liability, not a win. Watch whether the next budget ties farm support to women’s land titles, and whether the government releases sex-disaggregated data on actual income, not just participation.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
