Jammu Tawi, Apr 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has set a national benchmark in development across sectors since 2020, with women empowerment emerging as a top priority under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Addressing the Women Farmers Conference organised by the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), Sinha highlighted the vital role of women farmers in agriculture and allied sectors. He said women are central to food security, working tirelessly and contributing significantly to family welfare and economic growth.
“Without women farmers, every plate would be empty. They sustain the world and anchor food security,” he said, while stressing the need to promote women-led development in agriculture.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that despite their immense contribution, women remain excluded from prosperity in the global food system. He urged cooperatives and government stakeholders to identify and remove barriers faced by women farmers and ensure direct market access for them.
Referring to the United Nations declaring 2026 as the International Year of Women Farmers, Sinha termed it a historic opportunity to recognise women as key contributors to agricultural growth. He called for prioritising women farmers in all schemes and ensuring their aspirations are fulfilled.
He also appealed to technology innovators to develop tools tailored for women farmers and asked departments such as agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and dairy to allocate dedicated resources. Financial institutions, he said, must design loan products enabling landless women farmers to access credit.
Highlighting progress in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said significant strides have been made in women empowerment since 2020. Under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), 14,782 women farmers have been registered. Various central and UT schemes have further expanded participation, with thousands of women engaged in horticulture, dairy, natural farming and other allied sectors.
He added that nearly 3.11 lakh women are registered across agriculture and related fields, while self-help groups, women-led farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and skill development programmes are empowering rural women as entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
The Lieutenant Governor urged more women to join government schemes and take advantage of available opportunities, stating that empowering women farmers is key to ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural growth.
He also called upon IFFCO to establish training centres, farmer service facilities, and provide mobile soil testing units in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen the agriculture sector.
On the occasion, Sinha announced that a mass movement for a ‘Drug Free Jammu Kashmir’ in the Kashmir division will be launched from Srinagar on May 3, 2026, urging women and youth to actively participate in eradicating drug abuse.
The Lieutenant Governor felicitated women agri-entrepreneurs and visited exhibition stalls set up during the conference. Several ministers, officials, agriculture experts, and women farmers participated in the event.
