GOLDEN SHOWERS
Till 2012, Iyelene, 42, made a living by collecting firewood from the Khunti forest area in Jharkhand. Husband Manohar, a farm worker, did not earn much either, making life difficult for the couple and their three children. Their chances of breaking the poverty barrier were further impeded by Maoism as few government agencies dared to visit the interiors of Khunti to promote livelihood schemes. The Maoists only promoted poppy cultivation. Manohar and the likes of him risked being recruited as foot soldiers by the rebels.
Iyelene and Manohar had two acres of barren land of no use—or so they thought. Until Iyelene got in touch with Pradan, a non-governmental organisation, and underwent training in marigold farming. As she made a nervous start in farming, other women from her Raikera village joined in and, soon, the first marigold crop was ready, fetching her Rs 10,000. She used the money to put her three sons in school.
Like Iyelene, more than 1,000 women in Khunti have turned around their fortune through marigold cultivation. “Today, six years on, Iyelene and scores of women like her earn about Rs 1.5 lakh annually from cultivation of marigold and vegetables,” says Prem Shankar, coordinator of Pradan.
Khunti deputy commissioner Suraj Kumar says some 93 acres are under marigold cultivation. “So far, 1,023 families from villages in Murhu, Torpa and Khunti blocks are into marigold farming. Over 1,500 marigold garlands are made every day,” he says. “We have approached all districts of Jharkhand to buy the flowers from Khunti. And the results are encouraging.”
Lalmani Devi, 37, and her husband earned Rs 5,000 a month from collecting firewood and selling rice beer. Shifting to horticulture this year, they have already made Rs 15,000 from their first marigold crop. Another crop is ready and they hope to find more buyers on Christmas. Lalmani Devi, who now has a bank account, offers a broad smile when asked about her bank balance. “It’s enough for us,” she says.
The demand for marigold has always been very high in Jharkhand, with 80 per cent of the supplies coming from West Bengal. With the efforts of Kumar, all government departments in Jharkhand have started purchasing flowers from Khunti. Sales peak during the wedding season in winters. When the marigold season is over, the women sow vegetables (brinjal and tomato) and fruits (papaya and watermelon) to keep their farming going. They are doing well, and they know it’s just the beginning.