Women’s Contribution to Agriculture in Maharashtra Is Invaluable – Additional Chief Secretary Vikaschandra Rastogi

Women Farmers at the Centre of Discussion in Seminar Organised by Agriculture Department and M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Mumbai, Jan 2026 : “Women play an extremely valuable role in agriculture in Maharashtra. The government is implementing various schemes and initiatives for women farmers, and the Agriculture Department is undertaking multiple measures to promote sustainable agriculture. The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation is working in collaboration with the Agriculture Department for the development of women farmers,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Vikaschandra Rastogi.

He was speaking at a discussion session organised jointly by the Agriculture Department of the Government of Maharashtra and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at Sahyadri Guest House, focusing on various issues concerning women farmers.

The seminar was attended by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF; women farmer representatives; non-governmental organisations working on women-centric issues from different regions; Secretary of the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department N. Ramaswamy; Principal Secretary of the Cooperation and Marketing Department Pravin Darade; Agriculture Commissioner Suraj Mandhare; Project Director of the Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjeevani Project Parimal Singh; Director General of the Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research Varsha Ladda; Integrated Child Development Services Commissioner Kailas Pagare; Chief Executive Officer of UMED–State Rural Livelihoods Mission Nilesh Sagar; Special Executive Officer from the Chief Minister’s Office Priya Khan; Joint Secretary of the Law and Judiciary Department Makarand Kulkarni; and Seema Kulkarni from the Women Farmers’ Rights Forum, among others.

Additional Chief Secretary Rastogi noted that last year, on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, the Agriculture Department declared his birth anniversary as ‘Sustainable Agriculture Day’. He added that the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MSSRF to strengthen sustainable agriculture, nutrition security, and gender equality in agricultural work, and that this collaboration is actively underway.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan stated that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is highly supportive and positive about efforts to strengthen the role of women farmers. Detailed discussions were held on challenges faced by agriculture due to climate change and structural barriers.

Women farmers from different parts of Maharashtra, including Dwarkatai Waghmare from Beed, Vaishali Ghuge from Tuljapur in Dharashiv district, and Shantabai Warve from Maval taluka in Pune district, shared their experiences and expressed views on day-to-day agricultural challenges and the measures expected from the government.

A joint discussion by VIDHI Legal Centre and MSSRF focused on local-level challenges faced by women farmers and possible policy and programmatic solutions. The creation of a comprehensive database of women farmers was also deliberated.

Guidance on Coarse Cereals: Conservation, Challenges, Needs, and Future Opportunities

Dr. E.D. Israel Oliver King, Director of Biodiversity at MSSRF, made a presentation on key challenges, needs, and future opportunities related to coarse cereal crops. This was followed by direct interactions with women farmers, who shared ground realities related to identity, markets, and access to resources.

Experiences from the Odisha Millet Mission were presented, highlighting how state-level millet initiatives can be successfully implemented and outlining the role and opportunities for extension machinery. Dr. Sunil Karad, Associate Director of Research at NARP, Kolhapur (under Mahatma Phule Krushi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri); Dr. S.G. Pawar, Associate Director of Research at NARP, Parbhani (under Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University); and Dr. R.S. Ingole, Associate Dean, Mumbai Veterinary College, shared insights on research, seed development, and field-level implementation.

Sharing national and international experiences in the millet sector, Dr. Tara Satyavathi, Director, IIMR Hyderabad, and pearl millet breeder Dr. P. Sanjana Reddy highlighted millet research, improved varieties, and policy interventions. Dr. Vetrivendran Mani, Senior Scientist at the Gene Bank, ICRISAT Hyderabad, explained the importance of biodiversity conservation. Former anchor of the Odisha Millet Mission Dinesh Balam shared experiences from the millet movement in Odisha.

It was expressed that this discussion would provide a clear direction for developing a robust millet-based intervention system in Maharashtra.