Page 49 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2022-23

The Future is not fallow for
Self Help Groups in Leh EMPOWERMENT

Diversifying crops helped diversify incomes

There are five women’s Self Help Groups in Takmachik village,
112 km southwest of Leh, with a total of 35 members. They
have been practicing collective farming for the past few years
by leasing fallow land in the village. However, they have been
unable to unleash the true potential of group farming and use
cash crops like watermelon to their advantage.

“Few of the SHGs would grow lentils (pulses) as group
farming. Most did not see the benefits of collective farming,
except for winter handicraft activities, when support was
o ered by the government or non-government
organisations,” says an SHG member.

Tata Trusts, in partnership with Ladakh Environment and
to be sown, use of mulching technology, etc. The members
Health Organisation, a local NGO, initiated the promotion of
were advised that watermelon and crops such as tomato and
watermelon as a cash crop in Sham Valley to supplement the
sugar baby (a cultivar of watermelon) grow well if mulching
income from land for the community. The Trusts mobilised
technology* is practiced.
women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the village for group
farming on lands that were otherwise left fallow due to urban
Good-quality seeds and black plastic mulch of 100 microns
migration and water issues.
were also provided to the SHGs. The crop yield has been very
promising since then. In 2022, the SHGs comprising 35
Himmotthan Society, the implementation arm of Tata Trusts
women farmers, were able to market their produce in the
working in Leh since 2018, provided training to the SHG
markets nearby and earn an income of `64,380.
members on the cultivation of watermelon, along with
other crops.
The Trusts and Himmotthan Society have shown the path to
SHGs to succeed in Takmachik, with a drive to replicate this
The first step was to strengthen the SHG by ensuring all
model in other parts of Ladakh as well. SHGs can achieve
members are actively involved in decision-making and
greater financial sustainability and improve their livelihood
planning of the interventions. This was done through regular
through collective group farming.
meetings, training sessions, and capacity-building exercises.
In the trainings, they were taught about a package of best
practices – spacing between
plants, how deep seeds need *Mulching is the process of covering the upper soil surface for weed control and better soil
moisture retention.

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23 42