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She brought an idea from Korea and turned it into reality in Kashmir
Insha and her husband, both scientists, were working in South Korea when a school trip with their children sparked the idea of pursuing organic farming back home in Kashmir
A trip to a strawberry field in South Korea and encouragement from her husband motivated Insha Rasool, who is in her mid 30s, to set up organic farms in Kashmir.
Insha and her husband, both scientists, were working in South Korea when a school trip with their children sparked the idea of pursuing organic farming back home.
A thought, clubbed with dedication and support from her family members, is now a reality. “On seeing vast magnificent fields in South Korea, I asked my husband why can’t anybody establish similar beautiful farms in Kashmir. And my husband said why not me... This is how my journey began in organic farming in 2018,” says Insha, who now spends most of her time on her farms, guiding her workers on the organic and exotic vegetables.
When she isn’t busy with farming, she is engaged on social media selling or marketing her produce, including varieties of vegetables and sweetcorn, which are in great demand here.
“Being a scientist, I studied a lot about organic farming and then took up this initiative. We had a chunk of ancestral land in Budgam. With the encouragement from my parents, my journey in this field has been rewarding, though I have a long way to go,” she says.
Insha, who left a lucrative job in South Korea to chase her dreams, adds, “Though we are still doing this on an experimental basis as it needs a lot of research, my venture has been a successful one so far.”
Through ‘Home Greens’, she markets the produce grown on her farms in Budgam and Pulwama. “I have tied up with several cultivators, who grow organic vegetables and sell them. My products have a tremendous demand. Before the harvest, most of my products are sold,” says Insha, who studied at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
She says that organic farming wasn’t easy, especially in Kashmir. “I took this as a challenge, but the feedback and clientele that I have managed to win through my products are appreciable,” she adds.
Insha has been guiding people how to grow organic vegetables in their farms or kitchen gardens and her portal attracts a lot of queries from people. “If all goes well, I would build a school where we will teach how to grow organic products, especially vegetables. It is necessary to consume good products that are free of chemicals and pesticides,” she says.
For Insha, organic farming had its own challenges. “We need specialised seeds that have to be arranged from the United States and at times, delay in their arrival causes problems. Besides, organic pesticides need to be bought in bulk that requires huge investment and at times, that too is a problem,” she shares.
Despite her hard work, Insha feels a lot needs to be done in the field. “We are still experimenting. We want to do a lot more in the coming years and tie up with people to turn organic farming into a movement and lucrative venture,” she adds.
To make her products affordable, Insha has kept their prices well within check. “With each passing day, our demand is growing, so are the profits,” she says.
