Ukhrul, May 29 -- From bustling village markets to growing food processing units, women entrepreneurs in Manipur are transforming the local economy while preserving the region's rich biodiversity.

Leading this inspiring movement is Catherine Soyamphi, a young entrepreneur from Lungshang village in Ukhrul district.

Catherine's journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she returned to her village and helped her parents on the farm. Observing that many wild fruits and vegetables were left unused, she saw an opportunity to make better use of these natural resources. With formal training from the College of Food Technology and citrus-specific training, Catherine launched "SOYAM", a local food processing unit.

"Right now, we're produc...