From Charu Food Processing Unit to Integrated Farming, Sumi Bardaloi’s Rural Revolution

In Hationi Bhetha village in Nagaon district, Assam, lives a woman who has transformed the lives of thousands of women through farming. Her name is Sumi Bardaloi. She holds an M.A. in Sanskrit and previously worked as a school teacher. But her dream was different: to empower village women and make them self-reliant.

From Teacher to Agricultural Entrepreneur

While most people consider government employment the only savior, Sumi left it and embarked on a path that posed struggles but also immense possibilities for change. She believes that true education is one that teaches one to believe in oneself. She not only transformed her own life but also empowered many women in her village to become self-reliant. This is a story of women’s power, rooted in the soil but reaching great heights in their thinking.

Taught women the true lesson of earning money

Sumi left teaching so that she could teach women how to earn money in real life. She resigned from her school job in 2004. Afterward, she carefully observed her home-grown farm and realized that processing the crops before the market could generate more income.

Her idea was to change the system where women only labored while middlemen took the profits. She began visiting the fields herself to understand the potential of each crop. This thinking made her not just an entrepreneur but a “social innovator.” She saw that if women could produce products from the comfort of their homes, they could transform both families and society.

Start of ‘Charu Food Processing Unit’

She first started making mustard pickle, called ‘kharoli’. After this, he experimented with making juice and jam from mango trees. He received government training and learned to make a variety of products, such as mango squash, pickles, chutneys, and rice products. This led to the birth of his business, “Charu Food Processing Unit.”

Sumi realized that it was important to understand market demand and create products accordingly. Therefore, he not only produced traditional products but also added new varieties. The products produced at his unit now possess both local flavor and quality. Charu Unit has become not only a business center but also a center for training and empowerment.

Experience gained through struggles became the foundation for success.

Initially, his products were not sold in the market because there were no local processing units in Assam at that time. Everything was imported. But he did not give up. While the mango squash did not sell, he made up for the losses with rice products. He realized that “everything can be put to good use; you just need to have the right mindset.”

She suffered losses several times, but she took them as an experience. She learned that a farmer or entrepreneur should always have a Plan B ready. She used local fairs, exhibitions, and self-help groups to promote her products. Gradually, people began to like her products, and her customer base began to grow. Her struggle has become an example for many women entrepreneurs today.

More than 5,000 women have become examples of self-employment.

Sumi also started an NGO in 2001, which trains women in farming, fish farming, pickle making, poultry farming, and goat rearing. To date, more than 5,000 women have received training from her and started their own businesses.

Sumi is also the secretary of the Integrated Agro-Farming Development Society (Karbi Lalung Krishipum, Rodali Farmer Producer Company). She says, “Women can do things that men can’t. If women are given the right direction, they can set up their own businesses. I’m not a big business owner. I’m just a medium through which others find their way.”

Integrated Farming Model: From Production to Training

She owns 32 bighas of land in Berhampur, Nagaon district, and 165 bighas of land in Kapahera, Morigaon district. Here, she has created an Integrated Farming System, which includes rice and fish farming together, duck and fish farming together, goat farming, pig farming, nursery, and beekeeping.

The total area of ​​this farm is 90 hectares, and it produces approximately 5,000 kg of produce each year. The turnover is approximately ₹20 lakh. Most importantly, she uses 100% organic fertilizer.

Her farm not only produces produce but also serves as a training center where women come to learn.

Accolades for Contribution to Agriculture

Her work has been recognized nationwide. She has received several awards:

Best Food Processing Entrepreneur of Assam – 2019

Best Empowering Woman of India – 2019

Best Female Fish Farmer of Assam – 2018

Best Female Farmer of India – 2015

Next Step: Aqua Fish Tourism Resort

Now that Sumi’s integrated farming model is fully established, she has her sights set on a new dream: an “Aqua Fish Tourism Resort.” She wants people to not only eat fish, but also see how they are raised, how small processes combine to create a larger product.

Sumi’s plan goes beyond tourism. It aims to provide a new experience by combining rural education, women’s employment, and a sustainable farming model. She wants her farm to become a “live demo center” where practical information about organic farming and fish farming can be provided to schools, colleges, research institutes, and families.

Sumi believes that if this women-led model succeeds, it will inspire women across the country. She says, “Many women still think that farming or fishing is not their job. But when they see that a woman has done it and created a livelihood, their hesitations are removed.”

She is currently seeking technical and financial support for this project from the state government, agriculture, and fisheries departments. She hopes that the government, CSR organizations, and educational institutions will work together to advance this project.

Sumi says that this is not only a profit-making scheme, but more importantly, it is a scheme that will give village women a new identity.

Village Daughter Becomes an Example

Sumi Bardaloi’s story is not just about one woman, it is about a thought. A thought that shows that if you want to bring about change, you must connect with the land. A journey that began with a mustard seed is today filling thousands of women with self-respect. She concludes, “I feel that I was born on this earth to do something. And being born in Assam has given me that opportunity.”