A Workshop-cum-Capacity Building Programme on Mechanization for Farm Women through WFPOs was organized under the Schedule Caste Sub Plan Programme (SCSP) by ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar, Odisha on 30 November, 2022 in MGMG adopted villages under Nischintakoili block of Cuttack district of Odisha. About 50 participants including scientists and staffs of ICAR-CIWA, farm women, farmers, Personnel from line department and NGOs participated in the programme.

At the outset, Dr. Lipi Das, Principal Scientist and Nodal officer, MGMG programme welcomed the participants and described about importance of WFPOs for promoting mechanization for farm women. She explained the use of different women friendly farm tools and equipments in rice, pulse and vegetable farming to improve the work efficiency, work output, drudgery reduction and health hazards of farm women and demonstrated different women friendly farm tools and equipments for creating awareness among farm women on farm mechanization. She also focused how with change in time women have taken central role in the society and more importantly in agriculture and to avail nutritional security to the family.

Dr. Tania Seth, Scientist, Horticulture, began with importance of balanced diet through horticultural intervention in diets and how it affects the health, nutrition and development of body and brain. She emphasized on utilization of green leafy vegetables, tuber crops, fruits regularly in the diet table of the participants. She also explained the scientific package of practices for nutri-rich vegetable crops. Earlier, a brief description about the Capacity Building Programme and its importance was given by Sh. Atul Chetan Hemrom.

The programme was followed by distribution of the vegetable seeds of French Bean, Dolichos bean and Yard long bean among 100 SC farm women under SCSP programme. A field visit was also made to farmers’ field to see the development of nutri-garden by the women farmers.