Women are making strides in every field of career today. You name it, and they are already achieving heights in that field. Today, they not only just take care of their households but are equally earning bread for themselves and the people around them. There is nothing more powerful than a dedicated and ambitious woman who decides to follow her dreams and turn them into reality.
One such field where women are marking their territory along with men is “Agriculture”. Do you know that 84% of women in India depend on agriculture for their livelihood? Out of 84%, 47% of women are agricultural labourers, and 33% of women are cultivators.
For centuries, India has been the prime agricultural spot in the world for sustaining food security, and there is no way it’s possible without the contribution of “Annapoorna” itself. Moreover, the role of women in agriculture is getting immense day by day. If you are looking for the success stories of farmers in India, here are 10 inspiring female farmers in India who are pushing boundaries and creating names for themselves in the field of agriculture.
10 Famous Women Farmers in India
| SN | Name | Working | Location |
| 1. | Bhavana Nilkanth Nikam | Polyhouse farming | Maharashtra |
| 2. | Binita Kumari | Mushroom Farming | Bihar |
| 3. | Doma Lachenpa | Livestock Rearing & Horticulture Crops | Sikkim |
| 4. | Gurvinder Kaur | Dairy Farming | Punjab |
| 5. | Hmangaihkimi | Beekeeping | Mizoram |
| 6. | Kaden Lepcha | Potato Farming | Sikkim |
| 7. | Bibi Kamaljit Kaur | Organic Farming | Punjab |
| 8. | Leena Sharma | Natural Farming | Himachal Pradesh |
| 9. | Linisha | Mixed Farming | Kerala |
| 10. | Savita Devi | Dairy Farming | Jharkhand |
1. Bhavana Nilkanth Nikam
Bhavana Nikam is an educated young woman and a progressive farmer who started the cultivation of capsicum, grapes, and other vegetables. She belongs to Nashik, Maharashtra. Apart from this, she is a graduated woman who did not pursue any other career, instead she devoted herself to the field of agriculture.
Award – In 2019, she received Shivaji Maharaj Krushi Sanman Award, Best Woman Farmer Award (Krushiratn Award, Shetinishth Award, Rotary Club Adarsh Mahila Shetakari Award).
In 2021, she was honoured with Innovative Woman Farmer Anman Patra by Hon. Dadaji Bhause, Agriculture Minister.
Aim – Protected cultivation and farm mechanisation for sustainable livelihood and better earning opportunities.
Achievement – Vegetable production via drip irrigation with polythene mulching and using various innovative and new technologies.
2. Binita Kumari
Binita Kumari is from a farmer’s house, and she started following innovative agricultural activities like spawn production on paddy seed and others. She is producing Mushrooms around the year, adopting different species of mushrooms. Also, she got training for the cultivation of mushrooms from KVK, Banka.
Aim – Learning experience of a farm innovator.
Achievement – Now, she earns approximately 2.5 to 3 lakh per annum by selling spawn & fresh mushrooms.
3. Doma Lachenpa
Doma lachenpa is a farmer, and her primary income source is from livestock rearing and horticulture crops. Also, this progressive farmer was eager to learn new technology regarding nutrient and pest management. Moreover, her ambition was to prove the world that farming can also be a profitable career. Also, she wanted to develop her farming skills into something new and productive method.
Aim – Farm school for supporting women farmers in agriculture.
Achievement – She improved the production and productivity of crops.
4. Gurvinder Kaur
Gurvinder Kaur is a small-scale farmer with 3 acres of land. She is well qualified and worked as a teacher in a private school till 2014. Also, she wants to cultivate the highest quality crops such as Wheat, Maize, Rice, Moong and others. In addition, she learned about dairy farming with the help of a training program. In addition, her family has shown tremendous support to help reach her goal. Moreover, her small farm success stories are very inspirational and helpful.
Aim – To achieve milestones in the field of agriculture and dairy farming.
Achievement – She has 4 Holstein Friesian mulching animals and became a successful dairy entrepreneur selling 90 litres of milk daily.
5. Hmangaihkimi
Hmangaihkimi aims mainly on a mixed cropping and has 5 acres of land. Moreover, her husband also supports her in achieving her desired farming goals. Also, the farming business helped her to improve her family’s living standard. Therefore, she is truly an inspiration for women’s empowerment.
Aim – Generating sustainable income through bee-keeping.
Achievement – She introduced the traditional bee-keeping practices and learned that the modern bee-box gives more harvest. As a result, she earned approx. Rs 28,000/- per month.
6. Kaden Lepcha
Kaden Lepcha is known for cultivating fruits, vegetables, pulses and buckwheat. Also, she regularly attends training and demonstrations by the Agriculture Department to help in better understanding of crops.
Aim – Transform socio-economic status with increased farming awareness.
Achievement – She got an expanded yield of 15 quintals compared to 8 quintals through the traditional cultivation practice.
7. Bibi Kamaljit Kaur
Bibi Kamaljit Kaur is a mother of two and is indeed defined as a hardworking lady. Also, she had changed several villages with good quality crop production with the minimum use of pesticides.
Award – She was honoured as a successful woman farmer at the district level by KVK Handiaya. She has also received awards for progressive & successful Woman Farmer from Deputy Commissioner Barnala.
Aim – To revolutionise society with a positive approach and free thinking.
Achievement – She runs over 2000 organic kitchen gardens with over 2000 women farmers.
8. Leena Sharma
Leena Sharma has four family members, and they all support her agriculture business. However, Leena wanted to pursue a career in teaching before farming. Later, she decided to change the world with efficient agriculture.
Award – She was awarded on Independence day by SDM and MLA Karsog for doing commendable work under natural farming from the Agriculture Department.
Aim – To empower women with the help of natural farming techniques.
Achievement – Leena Sharma was the best women grower from India to participate in the association of webinars at the Global level.
9. Linisha
Linisha was initially interested in fashion designing, but farming made a special place in her life because she got tremendous support from a social media group farming. Thus, she decided to continue this path as it would help the planet also.
Award – In 2019, she received the best Kitchen garden (grow bag cultivation) from a Facebook group by Principal Krishi Officer.
She also received the title of The best coconut based intercropping from a Facebook group by State Agriculture Minister.
Aim – To support livelihood by increasing awareness about mixed farming.
Achievement – She maintains about 100 layer chicks, rabbits, and ornamental fishes at her home.
10. Savita Devi
Savita Devi is known for using a hydroponic technique for production, and she also teaches other women farmers about the usage of hydroponics methods. Apart from this, she has 1 hectare of land and a Holstein Friesian cow.
Aim – To utilise barren land for productive dairy farming.
Achievement – In the training programme, she was a role model to other women farmers, especially women farmers in the community.
Conclusion
These were the 10 inspiring and famous women in agriculture or women agriprenuer who are dedicating their lives to the upliftment of the agriculture sector. This blog is intended to inspire many women in Agriculture who are already contributing to agriculture development or are planning to do so.
So, these were the top female farming figures in India who have achieved a lot in this agriculture sector by surpassing the problems of female farmers in India. Additionally, these women are true heroes as they are working hard to meet the nation’s food security. In addition, they are inspiring a large population to work for the betterment of the environment. Besides, a lot of employment is generat by their work in the agriculture sector. Thus, we should also be influenced by their work and dedication to a better future.
From this onwards, let’s honour these inspiring women all year round and not only on just women farmers’ day.
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