If you visit Mundwad village during planting season, you’ll notice something quietly powerful taking shape—not in the fields, but in the hands of a small group of determined women. Here, in the heart of Haliyal’s sugarcane belt, a new kind of rural entrepreneurship is taking root.
It began with a simple idea:
What if women could turn the region’s most abundant crop into a steady source of income?
In 2019, that idea took form as the Mundwad Sugarcane Bud Nursery, created through a partnership between CherYsh and EID Parry Ltd. The goal was clear—equip women with the skills, tools, and confidence to grow and sell high-quality sugarcane buds, a product always in demand among local farmers.
Where Training Meets Opportunity
Three women from Mundwad stepped forward first. They travelled all the way to Nellikkuppam in Tamil Nadu, where EID Parry runs a specialized training center. There, they learned the science and technique behind cultivating healthy sugarcane buds—knowledge rarely accessible to rural women.
When they returned, they didn’t just bring back skills.
They brought back possibility.
Soon, a group of five women formed the first livelihood collective in Haliyal. With training, seed funding, and ongoing expert guidance, they set up the nursery and began their first cycle of cultivation.
A Business Begins to Bloom
The results came quickly. The group started selling saplings at a profit, proving that women could lead agro-allied enterprises just as effectively as men—sometimes even more so. Their success sparked curiosity in neighboring villages, where more women are now exploring similar opportunities.
Growing More Than Sugarcane
What’s happening in Mundwad is more than a livelihood project. It’s a shift in how women see themselves—as entrepreneurs, as contributors to the local economy, and as leaders shaping the future of their communities.
With each sapling sold, confidence grows.
With each training completed, possibilities expand.
And with each new group formed, Haliyal moves one step closer to a thriving, women-led rural economy.
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