Mumbai: Days after the Centre increased the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce, the Maharashtra Deputy Chairperson of State Council, Neelam Gorhe, on Saturday has demanded that the Shinde-Fadnavis government should craft a policy to pay MSP for the crops undertaken by women farmers and entrepreneurs in the state.
Gorhe said that as per the recent Niti Aayog report, nearly 80% women are active in financial sectors, of which 33% are agriculture labourers and 48% self employed.
‘’The participation of women is crucial if the country’s revenues will have to be increased and for that to happen the involvement of women in agriculture and agriculture based industries should be increased. There are ample opportunities in which women participation can be increased in agri-related businesses,’’ she added.
Gorhe suggested that the state government needs to organise training for women at the village level, and that it should undertake special efforts to expand the businesses handled by women.
‘’The government needs to make efforts to make available a market for the agricultural produce by women. Besides, the government will have to encourage involvement of women and young girls in cottage and small enterprises. In addition, they should be provided financial assistance through the state industry department,’’ she said.
Gorhe, who has been working in the field of women empowerment for over three decades, said that women should be provided loans at the concessional rate of interest, and that special efforts should be made on their behalf through the district level banking committees.
‘’The state government should launch a special campaign for the development of women and establish special cells at the district and taluka levels for the sale of goods produced by women,‘’ she added.
