Marigold farming empowers women, boosts rural incomes in J&K's Doda

New Delhi/Doda: The Union Ministry of Science and Technology's Floriculture Mission is helping transform the lives of women in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district by creating new livelihood opportunities through commercial flower cultivation.

Women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) are earning additional income from marigold farming while emerging as community leaders in agriculture and rural entrepreneurship.

In the Sartingal village of Bhaderwah and the Athkhar Valley region, women have begun cultivating marigold flowers on previously barren land with support from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM). The initiative is being spearheaded by NRLM Cluster Coordinator Nadia Farooq.

Speaking to IANS, Farooq said the Floriculture Mission has provided women with quality planting material, training in modern cultivation techniques and continuous technical support, enabling them to diversify beyond traditional farming practices.

She explained that the journey began with five women from her cluster who decided to experiment with marigold cultivation on unused land.

The pilot project proved successful, and over the past one-and-a-half months they have been supplying flowers to traders in Jammu, generating a steady stream of income.

Farooq said the group had traditionally relied on maize cultivation before being introduced to marigold farming by CSIR-IIIM officials.

Encouraged by the institute's guidance, the women obtained seeds and ventured into floriculture, which has since become a profitable activity.

The festive season provided a major boost to earnings. According to Farooq, marigold flowers generally fetch Rs 30-35 per kg, but strong demand during Navratri pushed prices up to Rs 60 per kg, significantly improving returns for the growers.

She said the women are now encouraging other farmers in the region to adopt marigold cultivation alongside conventional crops to strengthen their incomes. They are also helping interested farmers with training, seeds and financial support.

One of the beneficiaries, Rani, has emerged as a local role model for women-led entrepreneurship.

Associated with the Umeed scheme for the past eight years, she initially started a small business before expanding into marigold cultivation three years ago.

Rani said she has sold marigold flowers worth more than Rs 3 lakh so far, providing her family with a reliable additional source of income.

She added that access to quality seeds, training programmes and awareness campaigns conducted under the floriculture initiative has helped improve both productivity and crop quality.

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