Sikkim Women Brew Success

In Parkha, a village in the Pakyong district of Sikkim, nine women make up the Kadambari Self-Help Group. They cultivate organic black tea across three acres of land distributed through different parts of the village. The group was formed in 2016, when the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises offered farmers 50,000 tea saplings—more than 50 women initially got involved, but over time most discontinued. The nine who remained own their operation: two out of these women, Biju Pokhrel and Manita Devi Chettri, co-own the land.

Kadambari produces more than 60 kilograms of green tea leaves per week using fully organic methods in line with Sikkim’s status as the “world’s first 100 percent organic state”. The women manage every aspect of production, from planting through processing and marketing, hiring local women labour during the harvest season. Until recently, they hand-rolled dried leaves each night after dinner, a laborious process that took hours. Using profits and a government contribution, they purchased a rolling machine, substantially reducing their labour. Erratic rainfall remains a constraint as drying tea leaves requires five to six hours of sunlight. The article notes that the group is seeking support to purchase a drying machine. Kadambari has emerged against the broader tea industry where women have historically been confined to plucking and factory labour rather than ownership. It is included here as an example of land ownership and economic decision-making held collectively by women.