Lease a land from a farmer,

Grow bay leaves trees on it,

Wait for three years,

and harvest at least seven to eight kgs of bay leaves from one tree.

This is how traders and farmers in North Dinajpur in West Bengal cultivate tej patta, or bay leaves, which is considered to be one of the most important spices used to make many iconic Indian dishes, including Biryani.

Back in 2007, Sukumar Barman, a farmer from the north Lakhipur village in Raiganj Block in the North Dinajpur district, decided to cultivate bay leaf plants instead of growing other conventional crops such as paddy, wheat, and mustard.

His decision paid off. Today, he harvests 80-90 quintals of bay leaves annually from his 650 trees and earns Rs 5 lakh every three years.

The growing demand for the spice has pushed many farmers from Raiganj, Hemtabad, Kaliagunj, and Islampur Blocks in the North Dinajpur district and at Kushmundi in the South Dinajpur district to cultivate bay leaves.

Women take centre stage in the bay leaf boom

What began as a quiet agricultural shift in North Dinajpur has today transformed into a thriving Rs 400-crore industry, and women are playing a crucial role in this success story.

Just 20 years ago, bay leaves weren’t even cultivated in West Bengal. North Dinajpur has emerged as the heart of bay leaf production in the state, with the spice selling at Rs 5,000 per quintal. This growth hasn’t just changed farmers’ fortunes—it’s also opened up a new source of livelihood for local women.

While men are largely involved in cultivating and harvesting the leaves, women step in during the next critical phase: sorting and drying. Their work ensures that only the finest-quality bay leaves make it to market.

“Around 80% of farmers in North Dinajpur are cultivating bay leaves, and about 64% of women participate actively in separating the leaves from twigs and drying them,” says Sudeb Sarkar, a local trader who employs 25 women. “These women are mostly homemakers and........

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