Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 16: Odisha’s farm sector is poised for a new growth chapter, with women at its core. Senior administrators, including a former Principal Secretary of Agriculture, see clear signs of momentum. They credit the change to Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav.
He took charge as Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department. His push to bring women and youth into modern farming is reshaping rural development plans.
This vision was on full display in Bhubaneswar on October 15. The ICAR Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA) hosted National Women Farmers’ Day. Progressive women farmers, self help group members, scientists, sarpanchs and senior farm experts attended. Former OUAT Vice Chancellor Dr Surendra Nath Pashupalak and the CIWA Director joined Jadhav. Together, they honoured women’s role in food security and rural enterprise.
Jadhav said mainstreaming women in farming is vital for broader economic prosperity. Honouring women farmers, he added, is a mark of reverence for Mother Earth. He lauded their resilience and daily toil. Women, he noted, are increasingly emerging as the driving force of farm households.
The CIWA Director described women as a central pillar of the farm workforce. The Director also hailed Odisha’s pioneering policy on women friendly farm machinery. The state is India’s first to frame customised Standard Operating Procedures in this area. The guidelines seek to cut drudgery and make farm work ergonomically safer. They also aim to speed up adoption of tools designed for women operators.
The event closed with first hand accounts from women farmers and agri-entrepreneurs. They credited institutional support, mechanisation and self-help networks for their success. These women have gained financial independence and now lead community level farm initiatives.
