A three days capacity building programme on “Value addition and drudgery reduction: A promising way for creating sustainable livelihood for rural women”was organized at ICAR-CIWA during 21-23 November, 2022. The programme was sponsored by ATMA in collaboration with Farm Information Advisory Centre (FIAC) Kujanga Block, Jagatsinghpur District. Twenty five farm women from five SHGs and one farmers’ producer group (PG) participated in the programme.

At the outset, Dr. Mridula Devi, Director, ICAR-CIWA highlighted about the role of CIWA in streamlining gender issues in agriculture and the solutions to cope with changing climate wherein drudgery reduction tools, value addition of local produce, PMKSY, ODOP scheme of the nation is the need of the hour for enhancing livelihood of rural women to achieve sustainable development goal. Dr. S. swain, Sr. Scientist (AS &PE) delivered a lecture on scope, opportunities and challenges of post harvest processing in rural area and the strategies for the reduction of post harvest losses through novel value addition processes. Dr. Anil Kumar, Principal Scientist (PS), Livestock Production Management, delivered a lecture on improved fodder cultivation practices to augment feed shortage to nurture livestock and inturn higher income. Dr. Sabita Mishra, PS, Agril. Extension delivered a lecture on sustainable livelihood support for women in agriculture through schematic interventions where she briefed about Multi Agency Participatory Extension Model which may help in increased access of the women towards extension services, knowledge, marketing skill, better economic benefit and livelihood enhancement. She also deliberated on health and nutrition, community participation, leadership, access to credit, benefit sharing and gender inclusive/exclusive policies, etc. Dr. Jyoti Nayak, PS, Family resource Management (FRM) delivered a lecture on gender issues in agriculture and use of drudgery reduction tools for better work efficiency and time saving to women. Dr. L P Sahoo, SS, Seed Science &Technology delivered a lecture on quality seed production and management at domestic scale. Dr. Lipi Das, PS, Agril Extension delivered a lecture on gender sensitive extension approaches for building institution and stakeholders linkages where she discussed on business development and its upscaling and highlighted successful women entrepreneurs. Dr. A.K Panda, PS, Animal Nutrition deliberated on livestock sectors where women have utmost role for sustainable livelihood in rural level. He discussed on challenges and opportunities of backyard poultry production for better remuneration to rural women. Dr. Neetish Kumar, Scientist, CA &IT, delivered a lecture on role of ICT in women empowerment where he described on digital marketing, drone technology, IOT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture and digital & smart agriculture. Practical demonstration of development of RTS products, use of drudgery reduction tools were imparted to the trainees. Finally, participation certificates were distributed to the trainees followed by vote of thanks. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Sachidananda Swain and Co-cordinated by Dr. Jyoti Nayak.