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Home > Blog > Innovative Agriculture Techniques: Changing Lives of Women Farmers

Innovative Agriculture Techniques: Changing Lives of Women Farmers

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Devsingha village is five kms from Tuljapur town in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. Traditional agriculture is their main livelihood. Their life depends on land, climate, limited resources and market. For the last 10 years, the community has had less rain and has suffered water scarcity. The use of costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides, market variation in product price, unexpected weather conditions, lack of information and training on new methods to cope with climate risk were some the problems faced by the community.  


The Women’s Federation in Tuljapur organized a meeting of SHGs of this village to understand the vulnerabilities and resources of the village which led the women to undertake a hazard mapping. Community leaders, SHG members, youth and Panchayat members participated in the mapping process. It was decided that local problems should be taken up with elected Panchayat and local government officials to solve them and also initiative their own remedies. 


Krishi Mahila Mandal (KMM) was formed with 17 women members to address various issues in cultivation, labour and marketing on a collective basis. Each member contributed Rs 50 per month towards KMM savings. They used this money to give small loans to members for purchasing seeds, preparation of land, buying motor and irrigation pipes, etc.


The women members of KMM now cultivate vegetables in three seasons, they have introduced inter-cropping methods that give extra income, prepare vermi-compost to reduce the cost instead of buying harmful fertilizers from the market to encourage on bio pesticides etc.


To reduce cost of labour, members help each other in their fields. They share their labour days among the members. This way, they address scarcity of workers in the village and save money by doing the work by themselves. Women also do the marketing collectively. 


Women Agriculture Groups are:

  • Reducing climate risk in agriculture by using indigenous seeds, bio-fertilizers and pesticides, low inputs after analysis of soil content and moisture, efficient water through drip irrigation, planting bio-shields and revising farm ponds
  • Appointing women as climate monitors gives onsite on time crop, inputs advisory to transfer from lab to farmCreating collective marketing groups linking rural collection to urban vendor women
  • Facilitating the partnership with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Government Agricultural University and Animal Husbandry Department. These institutions provide training support to motivate women farmers to start organic farming. 


Basic information from: Thomson Reuters Foundation (http://www.trust.org/) 

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