Daringbadi: In a significant push to boost women-led agri-enterprises and promote local produce, Mission Shakti Director Manika Priyadarshini visited Kandhamal district’s Daringbadi block to assess ongoing efforts and chart a roadmap for value addition in key crops like strawberries, turmeric, and coffee through processing units.
Priyadarshini arrived at the PWD Inspection Bungalow in Daringbadi Saturday evening and was received by BDO Preetiranjan Rath. She visited local coffee plantations, the Mission Shakti-run Coffee Café, Hill View Park, and turmeric processing centres at Dandima and Sulumaha villages, Sunday. These centres are managed by Mission Shakti women’s groups and play a vital role in empowering tribal women in the region.
She noted that several women in the block have successfully taken up strawberry farming, which offers good returns in a short span. However, due to the lack of processing infrastructure, their earnings are limited to the harvest season. She suggested that if facilities for making products like squash and jam were created—either by the government or private entities—strawberries could provide year-round income. She instructed the BDO to explore steps in this direction.
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Regarding the globally acclaimed Kandhamal turmeric, the director emphasised that steps would be taken to promote value addition and branding. She stated that turmeric will be processed, packaged, and sold with GI tag labelling to enhance marketability and farmer incomes.
The director also highlighted the need to process coffee locally. Currently, organically grown Daringbadi coffee is collected by TDCCOL (Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Ltd.), processed in Koraput, and sold under the Koraput brand. She said the state government is planning to set up a processing unit in Daringbadi itself, which will further strengthen the identity of Daringbadi coffee and provide better earnings to local growers. Plans are also in place to expand coffee cultivation to more areas.
During her visit, Priyadarshini had lunch at the Mission Shakti Café in Daringbadi and interacted with women members, discussing their initiatives and challenges.
PNN
