New Delhi, Jun 18 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a visit to the Parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Tuesday, his first after becoming Prime Minister for the third time, will grant certificates to more than 30,000 women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) as Krishi Sakhis.

He will also transfer the 17th installment of Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) to about 9.6 crore farmers, amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crore.

The felicitation of Krishi Sakhis signals the Modi government's sincere efforts to expand its outreach to the rural community while lauding the contribution of women in agriculture.

About the Krishi Sakhi Convergence Programme (KSCP)

KSCP is an ambitious initiative under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Rural Development and it seeks to enhance the skills of rural women and also their contribution to agri-related businesses.

KSCP aims to transform rural India through the empowerment of rural Women as Krishi Sakhi, by imparting training and certification of Krishi Sakhis as Para-extension Workers.

Notably, the programme is an extension of Centre's ambitious 'Lakhpati Didi' under which a roadmap for raising 3 crore lakhpati didis has been created.

Krishi Sakhis will also undergo a certification course, aligning with the objectives of Lakhpati didi program.

Krishi Sakhis as para-extension workers

Since the rural women have prior experience in agriculture, the programme will harness their expertise and potential. The Krishi Sakhi programme will create a trusted community resource.

Krishi Sakhis will be trained for 56 days and taught about various aspects of farming including soil health, soil conservation practices, integrated farming systems, livestock management and more. They will also be informed about the benefits of organising farmer field schools and agroecological practices.

These Krishi Sakhis will also undergo refresher training with a special focus on Natural Farming and Soil Health Card through DAY-NRLM agencies in coordination with MANAGE.

About earnings of Krishi Sakhis

After the certification course, the Krishi Sakhis will have to take a proficiency test. Those who qualify will be certified as para-extension workers, enabling them to undertake duties under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on a fixed resource fee. Krishi Sakhis could earn an average of Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 in a year.

To date, 34,000 Krishi Sakhis out of 70,000 have been certified as Para-extension workers.

Programme operational in 12 states

Krishi Sakhi training programme has been implemented in at least 12 states and will be expanded to others soon. In Phase I, states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Meghalaya have been covered.