CM Yogi's vision: UP's daughters becoming self-reliant through Moringa

Lucknow: The impact of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's vision of a self-reliant Uttar Pradesh is now visible in villages across the state. In districts including Lucknow, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Sultanpur, and Sitapur, a Moringa-based livelihood model has provided rural women with sustainable employment and a respectable income. More than a thousand women in these districts are earning a regular income by engaging in the primary processing of Moringa leaves, seeds, and bark.

Dr Kamini Singh, Director of JVKs Bio Energy Farmer Producer Company Limited, BKT Lucknow, who is leading this initiative, says that hundreds of women from Ghazipur village in Sidhauli block of Sitapur district, including Seema Devi, Baua Devi, Shalini Devi, Mamta Devi, Poonam Devi, Priyanka, and Rajkumari, along with women from other districts of the state, are associated with this model.

They are earning up to Rs. 10,000 per month and up to Rs. 1.25 lakh annually. The women have learned to work in groups, focusing on quality, packaging, and timely supply, which has increased the demand for their products in the market.

This entire project is being run through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).

The FPOs have established primary processing units where value-added products are being prepared from Moringa leaves, seeds, and bark. This has created local employment and resulted in a manifold increase in women's income.

Under the direction of CM Yogi, local employment is being promoted through Moringa cultivation. The most significant aspect of this initiative is the increased participation of women due to the availability of work near their homes.

Rural women are earning income by receiving training in harvesting, drying, grading, and processing the leaves.

According to Dr Kamini Singh, Moringa is used to make tablets, powder, Moringa tea, handmade soap, Moringa seed oil, Moringa laddoos, and Moringa biscuits.

Through this initiative, trained women are connecting with other women in their villages and providing them with employment opportunities as well.