Equal access for women can lift India’s farm output by ₹2 trillion: Report | Economy & Policy News

Women in Indian agriculture earn 20 to 30 per cent less than men for identical tasks, taking home just Rs 82 for every Rs 100 earned by male workers. Due to systemic disparities in wages, land ownership and resource access, India loses between Rs 1.2 trillion and Rs 2 trillion in potential agricultural output every year, according to a report titled Her Harvest by Arya.ag, an integrated grain commerce platform.

The economic loss stems from a sharp structural imbalance in rural India. Nearly 77 per cent of rural working women now work in agriculture, with their share of the agricultural workforce rising from 57 per cent in 2017-18 to over 64 per cent in 2023-24.

Despite performing more than half of the farm work, women operate just 11.72 per cent of the farmed area. This reveals a fivefold disparity between women’s labour contribution and their control over land. Women-run farms are 24 per cent less productive, resulting in an estimated 2.5 to 4 per cent output loss to India’s Rs 48.7 trillion farm economy.

Land title determines who is counted as a farmer, who receives credit, extension support and procurement access. As men increasingly migrate to cities and non-farm sectors, women manage farms, yet nearly 47.7 per cent of women in agriculture are recorded as unpaid helpers on family farms, compared with 20.2 per cent of men.

This continuous loop begins with women not being counted as farmers, with no formal credit given to them, leading to fewer inputs and no storage options. This results in distress sales at harvest, lower incomes and an inability to accumulate assets.

The upside of closing this gap lies in the “Three Rs” — Resources, Recognition and Returns. Providing equal resources would lift yields on women-run farms by 20–30 per cent, while raising women’s harvest incomes increases overall household incomes by 20–30 per cent. “A rupee earned by a woman farmer does double work. It raises output now and resilience later,” the report mentioned.

Under the Namo Drone Didi, about 15,000 women-led self-help groups (SHGs) are being equipped with agricultural drones, enabling trained operators to earn Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 a month.

The UN has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The report outlines four key recommendations. First, formally recognising women as farmers irrespective of ownership and publishing gender-disaggregated data across credit, procurement and FPO membership.

Second, expanding financial access by scaling collateral-light credit, warehouse receipts and women-held KCC accounts. Third, equipping women by routing drones, advisory services and market technology directly through women-run institutions. Finally, building women-led FPOs as permanent market institutions rather than pilot projects.

Figures in the report were drawn from public datasets and cited institutional sources, including the FAO, PLFS 2023-24, Agriculture Census 2015-16, PIB releases, ILO, USDA, IFC, UNDP, Arya.ag partnership materials and Arya.ag disclosures as of June 2026.