Nov 7, 2020
For the first time in Telangana, a food processing unit owned by tribal women, at Utnoor was inaugurated by the hands of Minister Indrakaran Reddy and Khanapur MLA Ajmera Rekha.
The food processing unit is the result of collaboration between the Tribal Cooperative Finance Corporation Limited (TRICOR), Tribal Welfare Department of Telangana, Government of India’s Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICRISAT’s Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP). The major aim of this food processing unit is to localize production and reduce malnutrition, improve the economic conditions of tribal communities by giving them employment.
The Komaram Bheem Peanut Chikki Industries is the first of its kind being wholly owned by first-generation tribal entrepreneurs that is first of its kind. The said unit will be in touch with the authorities and supply nutrition programmes to the government and anganwadis in the tribal region. The ICRISAT-led project transforms tribal women into first-generation entrepreneurs by helping them produce healthy, nutritious foods from dryland crops.
“I am delighted to inaugurate the Komaram Bheem Peanut Chikki Industries in Utnoor. This unit is a testament to Telangana government’s commitment to development and welfare of tribal populations in the State. That the unit is owned and run by women is another reason for celebration,” the Minister said.
The food processing unit is patterned and equipped with machinery as per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines and it will ensure the production of nutritious food products meeting national and international market standards. ICRISAT has trained 80 tribal women from Utnoor, Bhadrachalam, and Eturnagaram in Telangana to manage food processing units.
The concern training part covers food safety management systems, machine operations and maintenance, and quality control. With this training, the women will produce hygienically packed, safe, and nutritious foods for their tribal communities. ICRISAT has enabled women to form Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) to manage the food processing units.
“This is a great example of the values that form the basis of ICRISAT’s work – empowering women and the less privileged. Such success is only possible through partnership, and working with the Department of Tribal Welfare has been a wonderful opportunity and their leadership is greatly appreciated,” said Dr. Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT.
“ICRISAT will continue to support the project towards sustainably scaling up this unique initiative to promote economic independence of tribal women and ensuring the nutritional security of their communities,” said Dr. Kiran K Sharma, Deputy Director General-Research, ICRISAT.
The project will train tribal women to be “Nutrition Entrepreneurs” and is adamant to ensure the evolution of local value chains around local food production and consumption to make vulnerable tribal communities sustainable, especially during post-COVID-19.
Moving ahead, this initiative will encourage and empower tribal communities in establishing more such units and build up their capacity to run the units in a sustainable manner, contributing towards not only health and nutrition, but giving livelihoods to the locals as well.