Only 13% of women in India own land, Ranipet District Collector N. Priya Ravichandran said at a Women Farmers’ Day celebration organised as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The Collector inaugurated the event near the Dhanvantri Temple in Anandalai village, near Walajah in Ranipet district.Addressing the gathering, she said women farmers were a vital force and the backbone of the agricultural sector in Tamil Nadu. Although women performed nearly 80% of agricultural work in India, only 13% owned land, she said.
In Tamil Nadu, women accounted for just 15% of landowners, the Collector noted. In Ranipet district, around 55% of the total female workforce was engaged in agricultural labour, while 24% were farmers cultivating their own land.
Women in Ranipet, Vellore, Chengalpattu and Villupuram districts had achieved considerable success in natural farming by working in groups, she said. By avoiding chemical fertilisers and preserving traditional seeds, they played a significant role in producing food free from harmful chemicals.
Despite their substantial contribution to agriculture, women continued to face challenges in accessing land ownership, credit facilities and modern agricultural equipment, she added.
The United Nations had declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the Collector said.
