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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Gundruk turns into a business lifeline for women in Hetauda

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Women in Hetauda, Nepal, have transformed the traditional preservation of mustard greens into a thriving business enterprise centered around 'gundruk'.
  • Organized through the Kanchanjunga Agriculture Cooperative, these women now manage the entire process from cultivation to marketing, boosting their income and financial independence.
  • The cooperative's gundruk has gained organic certification and faces high demand, with production struggling to keep pace with orders from domestic and international markets.

For generations, women in Ghale Gaun, a settlement in Hetauda, Nepal, preserved mustard greens for winter by wilting, fermenting, and sun-drying them into a staple called gundruk. This traditional practice, once solely for household consumption, has evolved into a significant business lifeline for the community's women.

Our production has not been able to keep pace with demand. Last year, we produced and sold 1,500 kilogrammes, but that was still far below what buyers were asking for.

— Chinimaya GurungChairperson of the Kanchanjunga Agriculture Cooperative, highlighting the high demand for their gundruk.

Three years ago, women from the Gurung and Tamang communities organized themselves under the Kanchanjunga Agriculture Cooperative Micro-Entrepreneur Industry. They began cultivating mustard greens collectively for commercial gundruk production. Their efforts gained momentum when the product received organic certification from the government, enhancing consumer trust and driving demand.

The cooperative's success is evident in its sales figures, which have grown rapidly. After selling 500 kilograms in its first year and 1,000 kilograms in its second, they sold 1,500 kilograms last year. However, this output still falls short of meeting buyer requests, with current storage facilities completely depleted and orders continuing to pour in from both domestic and international markets.

Before we started producing and selling gundruk commercially, these women had no independent income. Having to depend on others for every expense was difficult.

— Chinimaya GurungExplaining the financial empowerment the gundruk enterprise has brought to the women involved.

This enterprise offers more than just commercialization of a traditional food; it provides the women with a vital source of income and greater control over household finances. "Before we started producing and selling gundruk commercially, these women had no independent income. Having to depend on others for every expense was difficult," said Chinimaya Gurung, chairperson of the cooperative. The initiative has empowered women who previously relied solely on their husbands' income, enabling them to manage family finances and invest in their children's future.

We never believed that we could become successful entrepreneurs by selling gundruk.

— Pabitra SyangtanA cooperative member expressing initial disbelief at their entrepreneurial success.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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