Farmers of Dal
Hundreds of farmers in Dal Lake recently made Dal Lake Lotus Stem Farmers Producer Company Ltd.
The Prime Minister took pride in the fact that these farmers recently sent two consignments to UAE saying that this success has increased the income of hundreds of farmers.
The Kashmiri Lotus stem famously known as Nadru prepared from roots of the lotus flower is a delicacy found on the table of every Kashmiri home. The lotus stem is being cultivated in various lakes of Kashmir valley, the major being Dal Lake of Srinagar.
The farmers in the area of Dal Lake often complained that the price they got for the harvest was not enough due to the lack of market linkages for their produce and meagre individual produce of the farmers.
Considering the uniqueness of Nadroo (Lotus Stem) as a delicacy, the district administration Srinagar met the entrepreneurial farmers and after preparing a blueprint approved the FPO in December 2022. The FPO is being supported by NABARD under the ‘Central Sector Scheme of formation of FPOs’.
The FPO has been registered as ‘Dal Lake Lotus Stem Farmers Producer Company Ltd’ under Companies Act. Within a short span of time, the FPO has mobilized a total number of 250 shareholders in the Dal lake area of Hazratbal. The FPO has also registered a company owned registered brand of Nadru involving marketing of hygienically procured and top graded Nadru (Lotus stem).
