From rice wine to rare plants: Assam nursery helps 70 tribal widows rebuild their lives

A family-run horticulture venture near Guwahati has become an unlikely engine of social change, offering steady jobs, dignity and financial security to women once dependent on brewing local liquor.

Guwahati, July 17: What began as a hobby in a small corner of Assam four decades ago has blossomed into one of the Northeast’s largest plant nurseries—and an unexpected story of social transformation.

At Daffodil Nursery Old in Khetri, about 51 km from Guwahati, nearly 70 tribal widows who once survived by brewing and selling traditional rice wine have found a new livelihood nurturing rare plants instead. The shift has not only given them steady incomes but also transformed the lives of their families.

Spread across nearly 100 bighas at Dhopguri on National Highway-37, the nursery employs more than 300 people and houses over 4,000 species of rare and exotic plants, including what is believed to be the Northeast’s oldest bonsai collection. It is the only three-star-rated plant nursery in the region, accredited by the Central Institute of Horticulture.

“For many of these women, brewing local wine was the only way to earn a living after losing their husbands,” said nursery owner Dhrubajyoti Sarma. “Today they have left that behind and are earning with dignity through horticulture. They now see rice wine as something meant for cultural occasions rather than as a daily source of income.”

The nursery’s journey mirrors that transformation. Sarma said his father started it in 1984-85 as a personal passion before it gradually evolved into one of India’s leading nurseries in terms of plant diversity.

Today, the nursery supplies ornamental and horticultural plants across Assam and the other Northeastern states and has begun exporting to Bhutan and Nepal.

For Rebinde Rahang, who has worked at the nursery for 25 years, the change has been life-altering.

“Earlier, I collected firewood from the hills and brewed local wine to support my family. It was difficult and uncertain,” she said. “Working here changed my life. This job gives me security and helps me take care of my family.”

Many other widows shared similar stories of moving away from an uncertain, informal livelihood to regular employment that has brought financial independence and stability.

The nursery’s growth has also been driven by the family’s commitment. Rekha Sharma, who left her teaching career in 2003 to join the enterprise full-time, said the decision came when the nursery began expanding rapidly.

“We had only about 20 to 25 employees then, and I realised it needed full-time attention,” she said. “Looking back today, I feel proud of how far we’ve come.”

The next generation has now taken charge. Chinmoy Jyoti Sharma, who recently joined the business, said he hopes to build on the legacy created by his grandparents and parents.

“My grandfather started the nursery, and my parents transformed it into a successful commercial enterprise recognised across India and even neighbouring countries,” he said.

Beyond its vast collection of exotic plants, Daffodil Nursery has quietly emerged as a model of livelihood generation—demonstrating how horticulture can create lasting social change. For dozens of tribal widows, tending saplings has replaced brewing rice wine, turning what was once a means of survival into a future rooted in dignity and hope.

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