Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Help us out, SHGs tell Govt.

By Divya Ramamurthi

CHENNAI SEPT. 12. Self-help group members in Tiruvallur district are unable to sustain economic activity and are demanding that the State Government take a more active role in marketing their products.

``If the Government does not help us out with marketing soon, we will be forced to close down. We can't manage this business on our own initiative anymore,'' said Julius Christina of the Valar Illam Pengal SHG.

The members are requesting access to a wider market and sustained marketing help. For, they often find that their manufacturing activities are a misfit in the local community.

About 30,000 paper cups, packed in boxes, are gathering dust in a single-room factory of the SHG.

``We are hardly able to market any of these products in Tiruvallur. Hotels buy a few cases a month but never give us a fixed order. Making ends meet is becoming difficult,'' said Ms. Julius Christina. The group has invested more than Rs. 1 lakh in the paper cup unit.

Similar story everywhere

It is a similar story in the Kadambathur SHG factory. Coconut shells are lying piled up as the unit has suspended making dolls and spoons. ``There is no market for the product locally; our sales are limited to SHG exhibitions outside the district. But how long can we keep waiting for an exhibition to make money,'' asked Teresa, a member of the SHG.

To supplement their income, Ms. Teresa and other members have now started a canteen. ``We should have got into preparing household products like phenyl and `appalam' from the beginning. The local community is interested only in these products,'' she said.

Several of the 4,486 SHGs in Tiruvallur district are facing similar problems. Many members said setting up of a small manufacturing unit with State administration help proved easy but sustaining the unit and turning the initiative into a profitable venture were almost impossible.

`No level-playing field'

K. Kalpana, a research scholar, Madras Institute of Development Studies, said the SHGs were in a critical position. ``Big MNCs are flooding the local market with their products. There is no level-playing field. So, how can we expect these SHGs to sustain their activities''?

The marketing process was flawed, she said. The State Government must identify goods which had a demand before setting up SHG activities, said Ms. Kalpana.

As there was a demand for Indian handicrafts in the West, the Government, along with non-governmental organisations, must probe the export market and enable the SHGs to reach the international market, she said.

Training package needed

The SHG members said they needed to upgrade their skills to reach a larger market. Several of them are requesting the Government to develop training packages.

``We want to learn colour schemes and patterns of embroidery that will sell in the West. Maybe, the Government can prepare a book of designs that we can follow,'' said S. Zeenat, a panchayat federation leader.

A Villivakam SHG, which grows mushrooms, is asking for more scientific training to increase the quantity of production. ``At present, we are producing only one kg of mushroom and there is a big demand for the produce'', said P. Prema.

Marketing strategy under way

Officials in the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women said they were developing a marketing strategy. They had appointed marketing consultants to work with SHG members. In addition, in every district a marketing workshop would be held.

The Collectors had also set up an up exclusive retail shops for SHG products in every district. At present, there were more than 20,000 cooperative outlets, which could be used as sales units for these products.

Ms. Kalpana said the shops set up by the Government had to be permanent for the SHG movement to continue.

``Any economic activity by the SHGs has to be supported by the Government and it cannot be a temporary relationship. This will only lead to a bigger blow to SHGs later.''

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