BHUBANESWAR: Till a year back, Kabita Madhi, a 23-year-old tribal woman of Kalimela in Malkangiri, did not know that Karanja seeds that are found aplenty in local forests, would provide her a livelihood.
“These seeds grow in abundance in our forests and we had never known that they are so much in demand in the state and outside for preparation of medicinal oils, soaps, etc.” she said.
From being unaware of the non-timber forest produce (NTFP), Kabita and some tribal women like her in Kalimela, Bonda Hill, Podia and Motu blocks where forests are lined with Karanja trees, are now selling these seeds directly to firms that are interested in manufacturing medicinal and utility products from them. Most importantly, without the involvement of any middlemen. The women have recently sold 169 kg of Karanja seeds at Rs 45 per kg directly to a firm that prepares Karanja oil.
Bridging the gap between the women and the market is Green Shakti Producer Company Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort, an initiative launched by the department of Mission Shakti in collaboration with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy and Indian School of Business (ISB) in March this year. It is aimed at establishing 30 women-led, forest-based sustainable enterprises, enabling the forest economy to thrive while benefitting communities, nature, and industry. Each producer company has over 400 women members from different villages of a district.
As a part of the cohort, the department brought together Kabita and 567 tribal women of Malkangiri to form Kanamraj Green Shakti Producer Company (GSPC) which facilitates direct sale of NTFP at market rates from the region to different firms, a job that was largely under the control of middlemen earlier.
Likewise, a group of GSPCs - Manaya, Duarsuni, Gandhamardan, Mendadongri and Sunamanjari which have been set up across six districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri - have recently sold 38 metric tonne of Sal seeds to AAK India, a global player in plant-based oils. They sold each kg of the seeds at Rs 29. The company will use the seeds for its plantation drives. The GSPCs procured Sal seeds directly from primary forest collectors at competitive prices, eliminating middlemen and bringing price transparency to a traditionally informal sector.
Collecting NTFP from forest is primarily a woman’s job and is carried out during summer months, said Rajani Hembram of Bangiriposi in Mayurbhanj. The produce ranges from Kendu and Sal leaves, Sal seeds, Mahua flowers, lac, ‘jhuna’, amla and indigenous fruits, among other things.
“Whatever was collected used to be sold to middlemen at extremely low prices because we were not aware of the market rates,” she said. While a bundle of 1,000 Kendu and Sal leaves sells at Rs 50, women sold the other NTFPs at Rs 10 to Rs 15 each prior to the GSPCs. Sal seeds sold at Rs 8 per kg. “Through the GSPCs, we came to know about the market prices and demand for these NTFPs,” Rajani added.
Officials of the department said through training, field mentoring, and enterprise exposure, the cohort has empowered tribal women under the producer companies not only to participate in economic activities but to also lead them.
In areas where procurement systems previously did not exist, this intervention has raised local prices and introduced healthy market competition, said Hiramoni Marandi, president of Duarsuni GSPC in Bangiriposi. The producer companies have adopted sustainable aggregation practices, working with local women aggregators who ensure quality collection and build trust across communities.