Kerala   

Micro-enterprises in bamboo sector generate income, employment

Maleeha Raghaviah

Set up under Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana programme in Wayanad district

KOZHIKODE: The micro-enterprises in the bamboo sector set up under the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY) programme in Wayanad district in Kerala have stabilised in the last one year, opening up a viable option for non-farm segment employment generation in the district, recently known more for the crisis in the farm sector.

The six micro-enterprises are equipped to produce a variety of bamboo products for the modern market such as refill pens, business card holders, cell phone stands, incense stick containers, bangles and flower vases. The units have been fetching steady and decent employment and income to the 120 members of the six units.

Notably, 97.50 per cent of the micro-enterprise members are women and 57 per cent are from the Adivasi communities. For almost all of them, except for a few tribal women who had worked as farm wage labourers, the bamboo micro-enterprises have fetched their first-ever wage.

While women used to get income and employment for less than 150 days a year in the farm sector, the bamboo craft now provides them year-long employment and income.

The average daily income of a member is in the range of Rs.50 to Rs.60, but depending upon the product made and individual productivity, some women are earning wages of Rs.120 a day.

The Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology study centre, a non-profit trust at Thrikkaipetta in the district, provided training and established the units, with assistance under the RSVY programme, a Tenth Plan initiative for backward districts. Under the project, the implementing agency ensured backward and forward linkages through supply of treated raw materials and buy-back of products.

The centre recently promoted Uravu Eco Links Ltd., a public limited company, to provide marketing and other business development services to the RSVY units.

The six micro-enterprises now account for a total production of craft goods worth around Rs.1.5 lakhs a month, according to K.M. Rema, the coordinator of the project.

"The units have started thrift and credit activities with bank linkages. They are planning to seek support from financial institutions for establishing permanent infrastructure. All these have brought positive changes in society's perception of the units and there is an increasing demand for conducting more training programmes," she said.

The RSVY programme target is to start nine more micro-enterprises in the second year of the programme and establish a total of 25 micro-enterprises in the district by the end of the third year.

Members of four of the six RSVY units were initially trained in making three different models of bamboo pens, targeting low-end domestic market to premium export market.

Under an agreement signed with Uravu, Export Import Bank of India is promoting the `Script-O' bamboo pens. The Green Stationery Company based in London has evinced interest in the bamboo pen as an eco-friendly alternative and business groups in the country have promoted the pens as a corporate gift item.

Each RSVY unit was later trained to make different range of products. But delay in disbursing funds had adversely affected the progress of the project in the second year.

Most of the beneficiaries were rural women who had no prior craft skills.

The strategy was to create critical mass in select market-tested products, and to ensure steady employment and income before going for product diversification.

Uravu Eco Links sells the RSVY products though retail outlets in Kochi, Thekkady and Kalpetta towns and the Soochippara and Pookkode tourism destinations in Wayanad, besides exhibitions across the country.

The company's efforts to firm up advance orders have made some headway and incense stick containers made of bamboo by the Akshaya RSVY unit in Vythiri will be showcased by the ITC for launching its premium incense stick brand `Spreeha' in France next month.

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