Free seeds under 'Mukhyamantri Krishak Sathi Yojana' helping women farmers

The Rajasthan government’s programme of giving free seeds to women under the Mukhyamantri Krishak Sathi Yojana has become popular in the state.
 

“Mini-kits containing seeds of moong, moth, urad, mustard, jowar, bajra etc have been distributed free under the Krishak Sathi Yojana,” a state agriculture department official said.
 

This, he said, would ensure women’s participation in agriculture and their contribution would expand the state’s economy.
 

Agriculture Commissioner Kanaram said the agriculture department under this scheme in the past four years in the Rabi and Kharif seasons had distributed mini-kits of free seeds to more than 5.430 million women farmers in the state, including over 2.606 million in 2022-23.
 

According to the official, the department has distributed more than 811,000 mini-kits (of 2 kg and 3 kg) of mustard seeds; more than 860,000 mini-kits of 1.5-kg bajra seeds; more than 795,000 mini-kits of 5-kg maize seeds; 22,475 mini-kits of 8-kg masoor seeds; 4,144 mini-kits of 2-kg of flaxseeds (alsi) and 26,315 mini-kits of 4-kg moth, among others.
 

Chandra Kala, a woman farmer in Aamli village, Kota district, said she got a mini-kit of 2-kg mustard seeds gratis, and they were of high quality.
 

She said purchasing seeds was not possible due to her financial condition and most of the time her fields would remain empty or vacant.
 

Sumitra Devi of Khedli village, Dausa district, said bajra seeds were of high quality, due to which there had been a bumper yield.