Superfood Moringa Earns Lakhs for Kokdi’s Women

Supplying to Raipur and Training Others in Their Innovative Practice

Raipur : Women from the village of Kokdi in Dhamtari district have doubled their income by cultivating the superfood moringa, known locally as munnga. While moringa is often used as a vegetable, its leaves also yield powder that serves as a multivitamin supplement and helps control blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Consequently, these women sell moringa not only in nearby markets but also supply it to the state capital, Raipur, earning them double the usual income.

Government Support

Rameshwari Sahu, President of the “Jai Maa Lakshmi” Self-Help Group in Kokdi Gram Panchayat, Kurrud Development Block, explains that her group consists of 12 members who collectively cultivate moringa. In 2022–23, they received administrative approval of ₹1,144,000 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to convert approximately 3.5 acres of fallow, laterite soil into an intercropping farm. The women worked tirelessly on that patch, and the saplings they planted began to flourish. In addition to moringa, they planted karonda, amla (Indian gooseberry), and lemon trees. The moringa trees bore fruit quickly, yielding two crops per year, which has doubled the women’s income.

Sahu notes that people from other villages in the district visit Kokdi to observe this innovative farming model and receive training. “Nowadays, interest in agriculture is growing, and people are adopting modern techniques. Beyond paddy, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds, many are now turning to vegetable cultivation—and profiting,” she says.

Moringa thrives on almost any soil, requires little water, and bears fruit rapidly. Its leaves, flowers, bark, roots, and seed pods are all rich in nutrients—protein, iron, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, and A. These medicinal properties drive strong demand for moringa, making it both a flavorful and health-promoting crop.