THE INITIATIVE

• Use of organic products in rural India

THE BENEFICIARIES

• Residents of Idukki, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts, Kerala

THE CHALLENGE

• Increasing use of chemical mosquito repellents
• High investment, amounting to approximately ? 25 lakh, for manufacture of chemical mosquito repellents

THE SOLUTION

• NABARD supported Peermade Development Society in developing a safer herbal mosquito repellent using agricultural waste
• The agency developed a low-cost mosquito coil-making machine and registered the unit as a small scale industry
• Marketing done through the SHG network of PDS and sales outlets at Kuttikanam and Peermade

THE IMPACT

• Opportunities created for more such production units
• Possible product diversification in terms of oil, paste, etc.
• Supplementary source of income for women trained in making mosquito repellents