In what be a milestone in tribal empowerment, a group of 250 tribesmen at Thavinjal in Wayanad have floated the first tribal farmer producer company in the state. The farmers under Adima (denoting primitive) Tribal Farmers Producer Company Ltd would start exporting organic coffee, grown by them, to European markets from this harvest season.
The export would be handled by the not-for-profit company Biowin Agro Research, a company set up by Wayanad Social Service Society under Nabard's umbrella programme for natural resource management (UPNRM).
"The initiative started by tribesmen in Wayanad to set up their own farmers' producer company would help them achieve financial self- reliance and empowerment. Also, the producer company can capitalize on their unique tribal identity to fetch premium price for their produce," said Nabard's assistant general manager in Wayanad Saji Kumar N S.
He said that apart from Adima, two other tribal farmer producer companies have been incorporated in Wayanad and they are in the process of commencing activities. While the members of the Adima tribal farmer producer company (FPC) will have people from the Kurichiya community, the two other tribal farmer producer companies have members from the more-backward Paniya community and the primitive Kattunayikka, a particularly vulnerable tribal group.
All tribal farmers under the FPCs have been registered under agricultural and processed food products export development authority (APEDA) and are in the process of securing organic cultivation certification.
The floating of the producer company was an offshoot of the Nabard's Wadi project implemented in the district over the past four years. Around 730 tribal farmers have been the beneficiaries of the project under which Nabard has provided Rs 2.85 crore as grant to set up tree- based farming system, mainly involving coffee and pepper in homesteads.
"The Wadi project helped establish a tree-based farming system in 565 acres covering 34 tribal hamlets. Now, having our own farmer producer company would help us better market our produce, especially exports and thereby fetch higher returns. The coffee that we harvest next month will be shipped to European markets in association with Biowin," said Suresh PA Palot, chairman of Adima tribal FPC.
Also, tribal self-help groups (SHGs) under Wadi project at Thavinjal now has deposits to the tune of Rs 27 lakh, which is given as loan to their members for undertaking farming and other income generation activities.
Kozhikode: In what be a milestone in tribal empowerment, a group of 250 tribesmen at Thavinjal in Wayanad have floated the first tribal farmer producer company in the state. The farmers under Adima (denoting primitive) Tribal Farmers Producer Company Ltd would start exporting organic coffee, grown by them, to European markets from this harvest season.
The export would be handled by the not-for-profit company Biowin Agro Research, a company set up by Wayanad Social Service Society under Nabard's umbrella programme for natural resource management (UPNRM).
"The initiative started by tribesmen in Wayanad to set up their own farmers' producer company would help them achieve financial self- reliance and empowerment. Also, the producer company can capitalize on their unique tribal identity to fetch premium price for their produce," said Nabard's assistant general manager in Wayanad Saji Kumar N S.
He said that apart from Adima, two other tribal farmer producer companies have been incorporated in Wayanad and they are in the process of commencing activities. While the members of the Adima tribal farmer producer company (FPC) will have people from the Kurichiya community, the two other tribal farmer producer companies have members from the more-backward Paniya community and the Kattunayikka, a particularly vulnerable tribal group.
All tribal farmers under the FPCs have been registered under agricultural and processed food products export development authority (APEDA) and are in the process of securing organic cultivation certification.
The floating of the producer company was an offshoot of the Nabard's Wadi project implemented in the district over the past four years. Around 730 tribal farmers have been the beneficiaries of the project under which Nabard has provided Rs 2.85 crore as grant to set up tree- based farming system, mainly involving coffee and pepper in homesteads.
"The Wadi project helped establish a tree-based farming system in 565 acres covering 34 tribal hamlets. Now, having our own farmer producer company would help us better market our produce, especially exports and thereby fetch higher returns. The coffee that we harvest next month will be shipped to European markets in association with Biowin," said Suresh PA Palot, chairman of Adima tribal FPC.
Also, tribal self-help groups (SHGs) under Wadi project at Thavinjal now has deposits to the tune of Rs 27 lakh, which is given as loan to their members for undertaking farming and other income generation activities.