The interviews and reporting for this story have been performed in Could 2025.

Lease a land from a farmer,

Develop bay leaves timber on it,

Wait for 3 years,

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

That is how merchants and farmers in North Dinajpur in West Bengal domesticate tej patta, or bay leaves, which is taken into account to be one of the necessary spices used to make many iconic Indian dishes, together with Biryani. 

Again in 2007, Sukumar Barman, a farmer from the north Lakhipur village in Raiganj Block within the North Dinajpur district, determined to domesticate bay leaf vegetation as an alternative of rising different typical crops akin to paddy, wheat, and mustard. 

His determination paid off. Immediately, he harvests 80-90 quintals of bay leaves yearly from his 650 timber and earns Rs 5 lakh each three years.

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

Ladies take centre stage within the bay leaf increase

What started as a quiet agricultural shift in North Dinajpur has right now remodeled right into a thriving Rs 400-crore business, and girls are taking part in a vital function on this success story.

Simply 20 years in the past, bay leaves weren’t even cultivated in West Bengal. North Dinajpur has emerged as the center of bay leaf manufacturing within the state, with the spice promoting at Rs 5,000 per quintal. This development hasn’t simply modified farmers’ fortunes—it’s additionally opened up a brand new supply of livelihood for native girls.

Whereas males are largely concerned in cultivating and harvesting the leaves, girls step in in the course of the subsequent important part: sorting and drying. Their work ensures that solely the finest-quality bay leaves make it to market.

 

“Round 80% of farmers in North Dinajpur are cultivating bay leaves, and about 64% of girls take part actively in separating the leaves from twigs and drying them,” says Sudeb Sarkar, a neighborhood dealer who employs 25 girls. “These girls are largely homemakers and expert employees. They interact on this work for further earnings to assist their households. They’re paid Rs 100 a day.”

For a lot of girls, like 30-year-old Alo Roy, this work is greater than only a means to earn cash — it’s a supply of delight and independence. Alo has been working with bay leaf merchants for 3 years, mastering the artwork of delicately eradicating leaves from twigs and making ready them on the market.

“I work from 9 within the morning until 5 within the night. I acquire leaves and take away every leaf from the twigs with care. One needs to be expert to finish the duty swiftly,” she explains. I can separate at the least 40–50 kg of leaves each day. I earn Rs 3 per kg for sorting leaves, and when the chopping work comes, it fetches me Rs 4.50 per kg.”

Because of the bay leaf increase, girls like Alo are not on the sidelines of the agricultural financial system — they’re important to it.

How Bay Leaves are powering livelihoods in North Dinajpur

Bay leaf cultivation in North Dinajpur has expanded quickly in recent times, turning right into a sizeable business regardless of its casual construction. Its low-maintenance nature and constant demand have made it a most popular crop for a lot of small farmers.

“It’s a huge business however falls underneath the unorganised sector,” explains Sandip Mahanta, District Horticulture Officer and Assistant Director of Horticulture for North Dinajpur. “Bay leaf manufacturing has steadily elevated within the district. Since 2020, the manufacturing of bay leaves has been steadily rising. From cultivating 240 hectares of land in 2020, the cultivation land elevated to 318 hectares final yr. Parallelly, from 769 MT of bay leaf manufacturing in 2020, the manufacturing throughout 2024–2025 has hiked to 1019 MT.”

 

Regardless of its speedy development, the sector nonetheless operates informally. “We don’t have any official document for employees because it’s an unorganised sector,” Mahanta notes. But, he estimates that just about 10,000 persons are straight or not directly concerned in bay leaf cultivation and fundamental processing.

One space main this transformation is the Hemtabad Block, now recognised as the highest producer of the Bengal number of bay leaves. In keeping with Mahanta, one of many components contributing to the crop’s reputation is its resilience. “A bay leaf tree requires much less water and low upkeep,” he provides, making it a sustainable choice for a lot of farmers within the area.

A tree that retains on giving

For generations, farmers like Sukumar Barman in West Bengal relied on conventional crops like paddy. However the returns have been modest, and the trouble was relentless.

“Rising paddy on one bigha of land would fetch simply Rs 30,000–40,000 a yr,” says Barman. “It took loads of time and labour, and getting the harvest to market on time was one other problem altogether.”

In distinction, bay leaf cultivation has turn into a game-changer for his village. “It has introduced actual financial growth to our space,” he says.

And it’s not simply in regards to the spice. The tree’s twigs are floor into powders, its leaves are used as a pure colourant, and it’s a staple in kitchens throughout India, enhancing the flavour of each vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

 

When Barman noticed the rising demand, he took a leap of religion. “There are three kinds of bay leaves — Bengal, Bengaluru, and Shillong. I selected the Bengaluru selection as a result of it produces extra leaves. He explains that I spent Rs 32,500 on saplings, every costing Rs 50,” he explains.

Bay leaf timber are hardy, tall, and evergreen — very best for the area. As soon as planted, they take two to a few years to mature. However the reward is long-lasting: “A single tree can yield 15 to twenty kg of leaves yearly — for the following 25 years,” Barman says with delight.

Immediately, farmers lease out their bay leaf gardens to merchants for 3 years. In return, these merchants deal with every thing — from hiring labourers and sustaining the timber to pest management, harvesting, packaging, and even transportation. For farmers like Barman, it means much less stress, extra assist, and a safer earnings.

From sapling to spice: What it takes to develop bay leaf

Bay leaf timber could look unassuming, however they’re extremely rewarding for individuals who nurture them.

“A sapling grows to a peak of 1.5–2 ft yearly, whereas a tree can develop to over 20–30 ft,” explains Sukumar Barman. “A ten-foot-tall tree can produce seven to eight kilograms of leaves. It grows properly in loamy soil. The standard of soil and dry climate decide the dimensions of a leaf, which is thick, fibrous, shiny, about 1.5–2 inches extensive, and 5–8 inches lengthy. It’s olive inexperienced, darkish inexperienced, and light-weight brown.”

The harvest season runs from August to December, however the frequency will depend on how rapidly the leaves mature. “Harvesting happens each six to eight months — even twice a yr in some instances,” Barman provides. As soon as plucked, the leaves are left to dry for 3 to 4 sunny days. However the monsoon season brings its personal set of hurdles. “Masking the leaves with plastic sheets turns into costly due to the additional labour value,” he notes.

Barman, all the time eager to maximise his yield, discovered an modern strategy to take advantage of his farmland. “When my bay leaf vegetation grew 4 ft above the soil, I even planted potatoes and black gram within the house (8×8 ft) between timber. This helps fertilise the sector and improves the expansion of timber. Two years later, I harvested for the primary time when the timber have been seven to 10 ft tall. I additionally do common pruning,” says the 47-year-old.

Bay leaves are sorted into totally different high quality grades, figuring out the place they’re despatched. “The very best quality leaves are spotless. A leaf has A, B, and C grades. The A-grade high quality is exported to the Gulf nations, whereas B and C grades are provided throughout India. It has 5% GST. The dried leaves are packed in jute luggage and plastic luggage earlier than being dispatched to cities akin to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and components of West Bengal,” shares dealer Sudeb Sarkar, who presently leases 14 bay leaf gardens.

With demand hovering, a structured however casual system has advanced. Farmers who don’t have sufficient labour or sources usually lease out their gardens via open tenders for a interval of three to three-and-a-half years. “One of the best bidder will get the backyard,” explains Sarkar. As soon as a deal is made, merchants step in, bringing in expert labourers to climb timber and harvest leaves with sickles. Ladies full the important post-harvest work. Immediately, North Dinajpur alone has round 100–150 such merchants.

Buying and selling, earnings and the challenges that include it

Whereas bay leaf farming brings in vital earnings for cultivators, the image differs barely for merchants who tackle leased gardens.

“I used to pay Rs 1900 per quintal labour value for chopping twigs, leaves, stacking, and packing. Additional, Rs 700 per quintal is spent on watering the timber, making use of correct manure or fertiliser, and spraying pesticides,” explains a 29-year-old dealer. “A dealer doesn’t profit as a lot as a farmer does. With the expiry of the tender, the farmer will get again his backyard. Some 30 farmers are nonetheless sustaining gardens, whereas a lot of the gardens are operated by merchants.”

Bay leaf buying and selling could also be profitable, however it’s not with out its challenges, significantly relating to plant well being.

Guarding the inexperienced gold: tackling pests & preserving high quality

Past its culinary enchantment, the bay leaf has medicinal and dietary advantages. With 314 energy, a single leaf gives 238% of the each day iron requirement, 85% of vitamin B-6, and 83% of calcium. It’s additionally wealthy in magnesium, protein, fats, and carbohydrates. However like every crop, bay leaf timber are susceptible to pest assaults and illnesses.

Widespread illnesses embrace leaf spot, dieback, blight, and bark canker. Dangerous pests such because the leaf webber, chafer beetle, cinnamon butterfly, scale bugs, and gall mites could cause appreciable harm if not managed correctly.

 

Farmers have discovered their very own methods to handle these points — some counting on chemical strategies and others turning to pure options. “Though the tender contractor makes use of chemical insecticide spray for defense, I save the timber utilizing home made biopesticides, together with neem oil, eucalyptus oil, and cow urine. I additionally spray vermiwash on the 15–30 day interval,” shares Sukumar Barman.

From the nutrient-rich soil of North Dinajpur to kitchens throughout the nation and past, the common-or-garden bay leaf has turn into a quiet however highly effective agent of change, reworking livelihoods, creating sustainable earnings, and rooting communities in custom and innovation. As extra farmers and merchants unlock its potential, this unassuming leaf may proceed to rewrite tales of rural prosperity in Bengal and past.

Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh and Leila Badyari