14 January 2026,
\nJammu and Kashmir, India\u00a0\u2013 Agriculture is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s economy, employing over 70% of the population. Apple cultivation is particularly significant, accounting for 75% of India\u2019s total production, with districts like Baramulla contributing heavily. Yet small farmers, especially women, face persistent challenges, including urban encroachment, climate variability, and post-harvest losses, which threaten both productivity and income.
\nIn this challenging landscape,\u00a0Nazima Bano, a 31-year-old woman from Marazigund village, Baramulla, has emerged as a transformative leader. Once a seasonal apple picker earning daily wages of just INR 3\u20134 per kilogram, she began her journey at the very bottom of the value chain. Determined to change her circumstances, she embraced opportunities to take control of production, and in 2021, her turning point arrived through training provided by the\u00a0Self Employed Women\u2019s Association (SEWA)\u2013Shehjar District Association Centre, Kupwara (SCRC) initiative\u00a0on vermicomposting, apple dehydration, and market linkages.
\nNazima has since revolutionized her approach to farming. She cultivates\u00a0Gala apples, producing around\u00a013,000 kilograms annually, and applies\u00a0post-harvest techniques\u00a0such as cold storage to sell at peak prices, grading produce to earn premiums, and dehydrating lower-grade apples to eliminate waste. She has established\u00a0fair market linkages\u00a0with partners like Kamla Caf\u00e9 and Rudi Multi Trading Company, both SEWA initiatives, ensuring timely payments and transparent pricing, effectively bypassing exploitative middlemen. Emphasizing sustainability, she produces her own\u00a0vermicompost, reducing chemical dependence and improving soil fertility. She also maintains a\u00a0kitchen garden, which provides both additional income and household nutrition.
\nTo further strengthen post-harvest management and market access,\u00a0in 2023, the SEWA\u2013Shehjar District Association Kupwara received funding of USD 33,214 from the APFP-FO4A program\u00a0for the establishment of an\u00a0apple juice processing center, including facilities for grading and marketing raw apples. This investment significantly enhanced value addition opportunities for women farmers like Nazima, enabling better price realization, reduced losses, and more stable market access.\u00a0
\nThe Asia-Pacific Farmers\u2019 Program (APFP) \u2013 Farmers\u2019 Organizations for Asia (FO4A) is implemented by the Asian Farmers\u2019 Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC), with funding from the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The program aims to strengthen the capacities of farmers\u2019 organizations to provide economic services, advocate for enabling policies, and promote sustainable livelihoods for small-scale family farmers across Asia. APFP-FO4A is implemented in India by the Self Employed Women\u2019s Association (SEWA).
\nThese innovations have nearly\u00a0doubled her seasonal income, which now ranges from INR 2.30\u20132.50 lakh (USD 2,760\u20133,000), compared to her earlier earnings of around INR 80,000 (USD 887). Beyond financial gains, her improved income has enhanced her family\u2019s nutrition, healthcare, and education opportunities. She says,\u00a0\u201cI am very thankful to SEWA, AFA-LVC, IFAD, and EU for their support. My family can have balanced meals, and my children can go to better schools.\u201d
\nNazima\u2019s journey extends far beyond personal success. Recognized as a\u00a0cluster head, she mentors 300 women farmers across Baramulla and Kupwara districts, conducting training sessions, ensuring production quality, and promoting sustainable practices. In doing so, she has become a role model for rural women, breaking traditional barriers and inspiring others to participate in income-generating agricultural activities.
\nHer adoption of organic farming and vermicomposting has also brought\u00a0ecological benefits, improving soil health, reducing chemical inputs, and producing healthier crops for her community. Looking ahead, Nazima envisions expanding her orchard through\u00a0high-density plantations, leading a\u00a0women\u2019s collective for apple drying and export, and training over 100 women in sustainable farming and agribusiness skills in the next three years.
\nDespite the challenges she has faced, including initial low-wage work, market exploitation, unpredictable climate patterns, cultural barriers, and limited resources, Nazima\u2019s story demonstrates the transformative power of\u00a0capacity building, fair market access, post-harvest management, and women\u2019s leadership. Her experience shows that when women are supported with training, infrastructure, and institutional linkages, they can not only improve their own livelihoods but also create lasting social, economic, and ecological impact.
\nNazima Bano\u2019s journey is a testament to\u00a0women\u2019s empowerment, sustainable agriculture, and community resilience, illustrating how targeted interventions can enable rural women to rise from laborers to leaders, transforming both their families and communities.
\nFacilitating Factors
\n-Grassroots Training and Support: Capacity building on vermicomposting, grading, dehydration, and market linkages through the Shehjar Sisterhood initiative.
\n-Institutional Linkages: Access to fair and transparent buyers such as Kamla Caf\u00e9 and Rudi Multi Trading Company ensured dignity, timely payments, and fair prices.
\n-Infrastructure Access: Use of cold storage facilities reduced post-harvest losses and protected against market price crashes.
\n-Leadership Role: Recognition as cluster head gave her authority, confidence, and an enabling platform to mentor other women.
\n-Adoption of Sustainable Practices: Vermicompost production and crop diversification improved soil health and reduced risks.
\nChallenges
\n-Initial Position in the Value Chain. Started as a low-wage daily apple picker with no control over production or profits.
\n-Market Exploitation. Local traders often delayed payments and dictated prices, undermining small farmers\u2019 bargaining power.
\n-Climate Risks. Unpredictable snowfall and rainfall patterns continue to threaten production and quality.
\n-Cultural Barriers. As a woman farmer, gaining recognition and leadership in a male-dominated sector required extra effort.
\n-Scaling Limitations. Limited landholding and resources restrict the expansion of high-density plantations and collective enterprises.
\nLessons Learned
\n-Capacity Building Transforms Roles. Skills training can shift women from laborers at the bottom of the value chain to recognized entrepreneurs and leaders.
\n-Fair Market Linkages Are Critical. Transparent buyers and collective marketing models can dismantle exploitative practices and restore dignity.
\n-Post-Harvest Management Adds Value. Techniques like grading, cold storage, and dehydration ensure better prices, reduce wastage, and build resilience.
\n-Women\u2019s Leadership Multiplies Impact. When women like Nazima become cluster heads, they not only improve their own livelihoods but also mentor and uplift dozens of others.
\n-Sustainability Enhances Resilience. Organic inputs and diversification strengthen long-term soil health, food security, and adaptability to climate change.
\n-Institutional Support Matters. Linkages with organizations and collectives enable scaling, visibility, and access to resources otherwise out of reach for individual farmers.
\nRecommendations
\n-Strengthen Women\u2019s Farmer Collectives. Support the formation and scaling of women-led producer groups and cooperatives to improve bargaining power and ensure fair market access.
\n-Expand Post-Harvest Infrastructure. Increase investment in cold storage, grading units, and dehydration facilities at the community level to reduce losses and add value.
\n-Enhance Market Linkages. Facilitate long-term partnerships with potential buyers, retail chains, and exporters to guarantee stable demand and fair pricing.
\nMainstream Climate-Resilient Practices. Train farmers on organic inputs, integrated pest management, and water-saving methods to adapt to erratic weather patterns.
\nReference : from AFA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
14 January 2026, Jammu and Kashmir, India\u00a0\u2013 Agriculture is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s economy, employing over 70% of the population. Apple cultivation is particularly significant, accounting for 75% of India\u2019s total production, with districts like Baramulla contributing heavily. Yet small farmers, especially women, face persistent challenges, including urban encroachment, climate variability, and post-harvest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krishijournal.com.np\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}