Doda women SHGs earn steady income via marigold farming

In J&K's Doda, women self-help groups get an income boost through commercial floriculture

Jammu, Nov 1

The change is evident from the empowerment of women in Doda district, where the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have taken up the task of floriculture.

The women-led SHGs are growing, harvesting, and adding value to host of ornamental crops in Sartingal village of Bhaderwah of Doda, under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

This has resulted in steady incomes for multiple households, women gaining entrepreneurial skills, and securing leadership roles in agriculture.

A SHG of women farmers led by the cluster coordinator Nadia Farooq, who embraced marigold farming on a piece of barren land with the assistance of CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), attributed the new found success to the Ministry of Science and Technology's Floriculture mission.

"I'm thankful to Ministry of Science and Technology, who encouraged us to start marigold farming and provided us with the quality planting material besides giving us training to learn the latest practices in agro-technologies," Farooq, Cluster Coordinator of NRLM in Sartingal village, said.

Months ago, five women from this cluster had joined the Floriculture Mission on trial basis. They cultivating marigold on a barren piece of land and the venture turned out to be profitable one and have now been selling flowers to the suppliers in Jammu, for the past one-and-a-half month.

A local resident Rani, who has been associated with Umeed Scheme for past eight years, has emerged as an inspiring example of women's empowerment and self-reliance.

Sharing her journey, Rani said that she initially started her entrepreneurial journey with a small business. She has been in marigold cultivation for the past eight years.

Speaking to IANS, she added that she has successfully sold marigold flowers worth more than Rs 3 lakh in the market, creating an additional source of income for herself and her family.

Appreciating the support by Floriculture Department, she said that they receive seeds from the department along with regular awareness programmes and guidance to improve their cultivation practices.

— IANS