Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, April 16 

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said women farmers were central to food security and rural development, calling for stronger policy and financial support to expand their participation in agriculture.

Speaking at a Women Farmers Conference organised by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) in Srinagar, LG Sinha said women-led development had gained momentum in the Union Territory since 2020 and was emerging as a national example.

He said the agriculture system relied heavily on women’s labour while calling for improved access to markets, credit and technology for women engaged in farming and allied sectors.

LG Sinha said government initiatives, including the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme and other central schemes, had enrolled thousands of women farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, with hundreds of thousands more participating across agriculture-related activities.

He also urged institutions to design targeted financial products and expand training and infrastructure support for women farmers, adding that empowered women could strengthen climate resilience and agricultural productivity.

The LG said a mass campaign against drug abuse in Kashmir region would be launched from Srinagar on May 3, 2026.