Question : Self-help Groups in Agriculture Sector

(a) the details of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) working in the country for providing credit linkages in the agricultural sector;

(b) whether the Government has initiated several strategies to improve SHGs socially and economically and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether these SHGs are playing a key role in the agriculture sector and are recognised as a tool for women empowerment and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has taken any initiative to involve the SHGs in the farm marketing activities to meet the new standards set by globalisation and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) to (c): Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana is being implemented under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY – NRLM) by Ministry of Rural Development, across the country with the objective to organize all rural poor households and continuously nurture and support them till they come out of abject poverty. The programme aims to ensure that at least one woman member from each rural poor household is brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) by 2024-2025 in a phased manner. The SHGs are further federated into village organizations and cluster level federations. The mission also provides support for bank linkage of the SHGs for availing credit for both consumption needs and investment in economic activities. Further, support is provided to enable the households of SHG members to undertake 2-3 income generating activities for enhancement of household income. These platforms of SHGs and their federation facilitate social, economic and political empowerment of rural women by giving them a strong voice and bargaining power.


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Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), a sub – component of the DAY-NRLM aims to meet the specific needs of women farmers and achieve socio-economic and technical empowerment of the rural women farmers, predominantly small and marginal farmers focusing on organization and mobilization of Mahila Kisan and their training, in order to enable them to manage and sustain their activities. Proposals under MKSP are to be strategize towards coordinated action by communities and community based institutions such as women Self Help Groups and their federations. It is further conceived that the project would provide a complete package of end to end services through linking up women farmers with community based organizations providing access to complete package of options from credit, insurance and inputs, value addition and marketing of produce etc.

So far, this Ministry has approved 64 proposals under MKSP for 18 States targeting to cover about 33 lakhs Mahila Kisan with the total central allocation of Rs.702.52 crore.

(d): Not applicable.



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