Once confined to farming with limited resources, Neelu Verma has now become an example of rural women’s entrepreneurship. After joining the IFC (Integrated Farming Cluster) project, Neelu, from Kohkabod village in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district, not only made her nursery business successful but also created a reliable source of employment and quality plants for the surrounding women farmers.
The Collector and the Chief Executive Officer of the District Panchayat inspected Neelu Verma’s nursery on Thursday and praised her efforts. The Collector stated that agriculture-based innovations are playing a vital role in strengthening the rural economy and economically empowering women.
Neelu Verma started her nursery venture in 2025 by joining the IFC project. Initially, she raised 30,000 tomato plants and sold 19,332 to six women farmers, earning a net profit of ₹5,790 from her first batch. She then underwent training at the Government Garden Nursery in Pendri (Rajnandgaon) and adopted modern techniques. The net structure, constructed with a grant of ₹1.70 lakh from the Horticulture Department, gave her enterprise a new impetus.
Today, her nursery has grown over 2.45 lakh plants, including tomato, chili, eggplant, cauliflower, and bitter gourd. Of these, over 96,000 plants have been sold to 30 women farmers, generating an income of over ₹1.18 lakh. In response to the growing demand, Neelu is now preparing to produce plants using a rack system.
