Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Feb 23 (PTI) In the heart of rural Bihar, where groundwater depletion, extreme heat and erratic weather have caused havoc for farmers, a quiet transformation is underway.

A group of women, once confined to their homes despite their education, have emerged as agri-entrepreneurs, transforming not only their own lives but also helping their communities adapt to the growing threats of climate change.

Each agri-entrepreneur (AE) works with at least 150-200 small and marginal farmers, who are hit the most by these worsening climate challenges. They provide solutions to farmers on irrigation, provide climate-resilient seeds, help out with crop diversification, and act as a helpdesk for digital work—essentially a one-stop centre for all problems they may encounter.

Their remuneration is proportional to the range of services they provide farmers within a panchayat.

Soni Kumari from Hajipur, for instance, began her journey as an agri-entrepreneur last year by registering a farmer for a farmer card. She then prepared a detailed business proposal based on the farmer's profile—his social indicators, finances and cropping patterns.

She then entered the farmer's requirements into a Management Information System, creating a database of her customers to understand demand and create a business plan for her enterprise.

Once a homemaker, Soni who is a science graduate said she never imagined she would one day be at the forefront of promoting sustainable farming practices.

"I opened a shop with a micro-financing loan, where I stock everything from climate-resilient seeds to organic manure and fertilisers. We even have a drone for irrigation," Soni said.

The drone technology Soni uses has been a game-changer for her, she added.

It sprays water evenly across fields, ensuring efficient water use and reducing labour costs. "We can irrigate one acre of land in just 5-7 minutes at Rs 300-500. Without the drone, this task would take 3-4 hours and labour costs would have been much higher," she said.

But drones are a big investment for the community as the battery lasts only 10-15 minutes per charge and replacing a battery would cost around Rs 90,000, she added.

Soni's journey is part of a larger movement supported by JEEVIKA, a state-level women's socioeconomic empowerment programme, that provided her with the initial training.

So far, 5,178 AEs are providing services to more than 8 lakh farmers and covering 2,21,000 acres of land, according to official data.

They provide seeds, pesticides, fertilisers, farm equipment and offer services on nursery management, collective marketing and digital banking.

The overall profit generated by the AEs to date is Rs 1.54 crore, said Abhishek Kumar, Programme Officer for Women's Economic Empowerment at Project Concern International India.

Kumar who works closely with them said they serve a key function in spreading awareness about climate-resilient farming techniques.

Chanchal Devi from Mushari, for instance, encourages farmers to grow water-efficient crops like palak, lal saag and cucumber.

"Given the water shortage, we need crops that thrive with less water. I also teach farmers how to grow multiple crops together, like planting creepers alongside soil-intensive plants to save water and resources," Chanchal said.

Sarita Kumari, a farmer who buys seeds and fertilisers from Chanchal's shop, explained that uncertain weather conditions have made farming a very unpredictable business so the presence of agri-entrepreneurs helps.

"We earlier had to travel to the nearest town to buy seeds and there also we would get traditional seeds, not the climate-resilient ones. So it definitely helps. We have not used the drone irrigation a lot but it is becoming popular here," the farmer said.

Most agri-entrepreneurs source their seeds from Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Samastipur in Bihar.

By diversifying crops and adopting water-saving techniques, farmers can reduce their vulnerability to climate shocks, said Avantika, a member of Syngenta Foundation India, which works with the women entrepreneurs.

To help farmers cope with the economic impacts of climate change, the women are also promoting the planting of high-value cash crops, she said.

Crops such as capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, and chillies are grown using high-yielding seeds, enabling farmers to fetch better prices in the market.

The use of polyhouses has also been encouraged, allowing farmers to grow crops in controlled environments and increase yields, she added.

Every agri-entrepreneur has her own set of specialities.

Like Shoba Devi from Motipur who has been advocating for the use of organic fertilisers. "We've started using organic fertilisers and are slowly educating others about their benefits," she said.

Organic farming not only reduces reliance on chemical inputs but also improves soil health, making it more resilient to climate change.

Shoba said her efforts have inspired many in her community to shift towards organic practices. "It's a slow process but effective, especially as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Farmers are willing to learn," she said.

"We're earning extra income, up to Rs 1-1.5 lakh per year," Shoba said.

The impact of their work is evident in their communities. Soni, for instance, now serves over 500 farmers in her area.

The JEEVIKA programme is being executed in 13 districts of Bihar— Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, East Champaran, Saharsa, Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar, Khagaria, and Begusarai—and is solely managed by the agri-entrepreneurs themselves.

Bihar, like many parts of India, has increasingly become vulnerable to the impact of climate change with erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and unpredictable weather patterns making farming more challenging than ever, particularly for small and marginal farmers whose livelihoods and food security are at risk.

However, some challenges remain—the high cost of technology such as drone batteries and the need for more widespread awareness about sustainable practices.

Women who spoke to PTI said they are planning to expand their business further and involve more women with them.

"I never thought I'd be doing something like this—helping farmers, using drones, running a shop. But now, when I see how much easier it is for farmers to irrigate their fields or grow better crops, I feel proud. I now plan to involve more women to be part of this," said Chanchal. PTI UZM SKY SKY