Tribal women of Betul district are live example of women empowerment and for making agriculture a profitable occupation. Not only a Satpura Women Silk Producer Company has been formed by 931 women of 70 villages of the district but they are earning an amount of `80 to 90 thousand annually from one acre of land. Company consisting of 100 percent tribal women are carrying out activities like mulberry production, silk worms breeding and silk production from cocoon. The silk produced by them are being purchased by Madhya Pradesh Silk Federation.
Rain water was not used to accumulate due to uneven land earlier. Farmers were used to take one crop of maize and were earning `7 to 8 thousand with great difficulties. Moreover, 80 percent villagers used to migrate to other places to find employment. Today exodus is totally stopped. Families are prospering and children are pursuing studies in good schools. The company has been formed gathering tribal women with the cooperation of District Silk Center and Pradaan Sanstha.
Women beside producing mulberry are also taking four crops now. A financial assistance of `37 thousand 500 for construction of silk worms shed, `37 thousand 500 for equipments and `18 thousand 750 is being provided by the state government. Narmada Mahila Sangh has been formed by the women for poultry farming, mashroom and vegetable production and its trade beside silk production.
Silk federation purchases silk from them at the rate of
`350 per k.g. Company is also free to sell silk to other people. Recently, silk at the rate of
`398 per k.g. has been purcahsed by the private company. Women have their own board of directors including Jaivanti, laxmi, Sangeeta, Sumanti and Jamni Malavi.