Cow dung products made by rural Chhattisgarh women selling online now

Chhattisgarh had earlier initiated a scheme called ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’, to buy cow dung from dairy farmers at ₹2 per kg to offer them financial support.

Updated on: Aug 8, 2021, 09:22:08 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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Thousands of rural and poor women engaged in making products from cow dung in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district have received a fillip with the administration now ensuring that their products reach a wider market through e-commerce platforms, following a rising demand including from other states, said an official.

Rural women from self help groups in Chhattisgarh engaged in making of vermicompost from cow dung. (HT Photo)

Cow dung products such as manure, cow dung cakes (used as fuel), diyas (lamps) and flower pots made by more than 4,000 women of 354 self-help groups (SHGs) are now available on e-commerce platforms with the help of administration, officials claimed.

“Rajnandgaon has become the first district of the state to sell products made from cow dung on online platforms. Till now, manure and other products made of cow dung worth ₹5 crore have been sold to help the women of the district. Online sale, which started a few days ago, has sold products worth ₹1 lakh so far. The aim is to further increase makers' profits by expanding the market leading to increase in production. The online sale has increased in the last few days,” said Taran Prakash Sinha, collector Rajnandgaon.

The collector added that around 365 Gauthans or cowsheds are engaged in this work using 66,400 quintals of cow dung procured by the administration under a state government scheme this year.

Chhattisgarh had earlier initiated a scheme called ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’, to buy cow dung from dairy farmers at ₹2 per kg to offer them financial support.

“Till now, 53,000 quintals of vermicompost worth ₹1.5 crore, made by women self help groups, have been sold. Earlier, manure was being sold only at the cowsheds, but now it is selling online on platforms such as Amazon due to the increasing demand for manure from other states as well. So far, orders worth lakhs of rupees have been received from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other states,” the collector said.

Mehtareen Yadav, a woman engaged in Jai Maa Vaishnavi Swayam Sahayata Samuh- a self help group, claimed to have earned ₹8,000 by selling cow dung made products in the last 6 months.

“I have been told that the administration is selling our cow dung products online now. We hope we can earn more now,” she said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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