Maharashtra has opened online applications for Women Farmers’ Certificates, allowing women engaged in farming or agriculture-related work to apply even when the farmland is not registered in their names. The Agriculture Department has said land ownership is not a mandatory condition for recognition as a woman farmer under the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026.
The recognition process has been initiated under Sections 5(1) and 6(1) of the Act. Women who have access to a computer can submit their applications from home, while those without a computer can use a village-level Common Service Centre (CSC).
According to an Agriculture Department official quoted in the report, any woman involved in farming or work connected with agriculture can be considered for the certificate. The land may be registered in another person’s name, as the law provides for issuing a Women Farmers’ Certificate in such cases. The department has also expanded the definition of agricultural work. Women performing any one of 17 specified types of work can be recognised as women farmers under the new framework.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old. The application will be placed before the Gram Sabha or the meeting of the Nagar Panchayat concerned for consideration. The local body will have to pass a resolution either approving or rejecting the application.
If an application is rejected, the reason must be communicated to the applicant within seven days. If the resolution approves the application, the certificate must be issued within two weeks from the date of approval. These timelines place responsibility on local institutions to process applications within a defined period rather than leaving applicants without a formal response.
The law also provides an appeal mechanism. If the certificate is denied, the woman can approach the appellate officer within four months of the Gram Sabha’s decision. Once an appeal is filed, the concerned officer is required to decide the matter within one month.
Women in Maharashtra can apply through the Agriculture Department’s online service portal at https://uat-mahakrishi.mahaitgov.in/mahila-shetkari-service/apply/. The application process asks for the applicant’s Aadhaar number, mobile number and caste category. Applicants must then select the type of agricultural work they perform before submitting the form.
The status of a submitted application can be checked through the department’s tracking page at https://uat-mahakrishi.mahaitgov.in/mahila-shetkari-service/status/. The opening of the portal marks the operational start of the certificate process, while approval by the Gram Sabha or Nagar Panchayat remains a required stage before the certificate is issued.
