Roots of Her: Manju Bhardwaj – Growing Through Change
In the apple-growing hills of Himachal Pradesh, every season tells a different story.
Some winters bring less snow than expected. Some years bring heavy rains, landslides, or hailstorms. Conditions that farmers once considered predictable have become increasingly uncertain. Yet amid these changes, growers continue to adapt, learn, and move forward.
One of them is Manju Bhardwaj.
For nearly 18 years, Manju has been part of her family’s orchard, caring for trees that require patience, observation, and constant attention. But when she first arrived in the hills after her marriage, she never imagined that horticulture would become such an important part of her life.
“I moved here after my marriage and got the opportunity to become involved in orchard management,” she says. “What started as a hobby gradually turned into my passion.”
Raised with a strong belief in education, Manju pursued her studies alongside her growing involvement in farming and recently completed her LLB. While law and horticulture may seem like very different worlds, she believes both have taught her the importance of understanding challenges, finding solutions, and making informed decisions.
As the years passed, her connection with the orchard deepened. What began as helping around the farm evolved into a genuine commitment to understanding every aspect of fruit production.
Then came a challenge that many growers across the Himalayas would recognise.
The weather began to change.
“There were two to three years when we hardly received any snowfall,” Manju recalls. “At other times, rainfall became excessive. Sometimes we faced floods and landslides, while in some seasons there was very little rain.”
The impact extended beyond the weather itself. Reduced snowfall, shifting seasons, new disease pressures, and changing pest populations began influencing orchard performance in ways previous generations had rarely experienced.
For Manju, these changes became a turning point.
Instead of relying only on traditional practices, she and her family began looking more closely at what their orchards needed. They paid greater attention to nutrition management, plant health, and crop protection while continuously learning about new approaches that could help their trees perform better under changing conditions.
“We have had to keep ourselves updated and adapt every year,” she says. “We carefully studied plant requirements and looked at how we could better support our plants.”
But productivity was never the only goal.
For Manju, the future of horticulture depends on finding solutions that support both farming and the environment.
“Our goal is to use solutions that benefit the plants without harming nature.”
That mindset reflects a broader belief she holds about agriculture today: progress must go hand in hand with responsibility.
Behind her journey stands another important influence, one she speaks about with deep appreciation.
Family.
In conversations about success, Manju is quick to acknowledge the people who encouraged her at every stage of life.
Her mother taught her confidence and resilience. Her mother-in-law encouraged her ambitions and gave her the freedom to pursue them.
“She never restricted me,” Manju says. “Instead, she gave me the freedom to grow and achieve more. She gave wings to my dreams.”
That support helped her develop the confidence to participate in exhibitions, interact with buyers and growers, and promote the apples produced by her family orchard. Through these experiences, she found herself connecting with people far beyond her local community.
What surprised her most was the response.
Over the years, many people have shared that her story inspired them to pursue their own goals with greater confidence.
“If my journey inspires even one person, I would consider that a success,” she says.
Looking ahead, Manju remains optimistic about the future of Indian horticulture.
She hopes to see better fruit quality, improved yields, wider adoption of modern apple varieties, and greater use of high-density plantation systems. Most importantly, she believes growers must continue working with nature rather than against it.
“We should support nature so that it can help us reduce future challenges.”
For Manju, growth is not just measured in tonnes harvested or boxes sold. It is measured in the willingness to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward despite uncertainty.
Her story reminds us that agriculture is shaped not only by those who own land or manage crops, but also by those who bring fresh perspectives, embrace change, and inspire others through their actions.
And perhaps her closing thought captures that spirit best:
“I measure the progress of our society and community by the degree of progress achieved by women.”
As part of Roots of Her, Manju Bhardwaj’s story highlights how women across Indian agriculture are helping shape the future of farming, not through extraordinary headlines, but through everyday decisions, resilience, and the determination to keep growing.
