GCC push helps tribals try hand at biscuit-making

You can soon taste yummy multi-grain biscuits made of millets grown in the lush green farms of Agency areas in north Andhra and cashew nuts from  Rampachodavaram in East Godavari district.

VISAKHAPATNAM: You can soon taste yummy multi-grain biscuits made of millets grown in the lush green farms of Agency areas in north Andhra and cashew nuts from  Rampachodavaram in East Godavari district. The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) in Visakhapatnam has tied up with tribal units and groups to market the products which are going to hit GCC outlets in the State very soon.

According to GCC officials, millets are grown in Seethampeta Agency area of Srikakulam district. Seethampeta Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA) officials along with the GCC have jointly helped tribal units to manufacture multi-grain biscuits. While the Seethampeta ITDA is providing funds for the product, the GCC offers assistance in the sales and other purposes.

“We have assigned the product to the tribal units in Seethampeta which have Food Security Community Capacity Index (FSCCI) licences. The area has good millet production. The product has come out really well. At present, packing is done in pet jars. It would be done in corrugated packaging soon,” said Anand, an officer of the GCC Marketing Team.

Keeping in view the cashew farming in North Andhra region, the GCC will also market the cashew product. “There are about 1.3 lakh tribal families dependent on cashew farming in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. Apart from Rampachodavaram and Koyyuru in Visakhapatnam district has good cashew production.

It is organic farming and the cashew has come out so well,” said T Babu Rao Naidu, GCC Managing Director. He said that at present about 80 per cent of raw material is being sold in bulk, while the rest is used as market product. The processing job is outsourced in Palasa of Srikakulam district, while packing is done in Visakhapatnam GCC godowns, he said.

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