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Tribal people make history in exports

EXEMPLARY: Minister for Forest Benoy Viswom handing over the purchase order for organic pepper export to Geeta Rameshan, chairperson of Vanchivayal Eco-Development Committee.

KOCHI: The achievement made by Vanchivayal Eco-Development Society (EDC) could be a model for rest of the country and would be extended to other parts of the State soon, said Minister for Forests Benoy Viswom.

He was speaking after handing over the purchase order for organic pepper cultivated at the colony of Oorali tribal families at Vanchivayal for export. This is the first time in the country that produce generated by indigenous community was given international organic products certification and export licence. The first consignment of 4,000 kg of pepper will be exported to Ecoland Herbs and Spices, a consortium of organic farmers in Germany, who are paying 33 per cent more than the existing market price for pepper.

Taking the local communities into confidence and working towards their benefit is a major component of the participatory forest management programme being implemented across the country, Mr. Viswom said.

That the Adivasis could manage to get international certification for their produce, which was till now restricted only to major plantations owned by big players, reflect the empowerment happening in tribal sectors of the State, he said.

He handed over the purchase order to Geeta Rameshan, chairperson of Vanchivayal EDC.

Other tribal communities such as Mannan and Paliyal settled near Thekkady would join in the coming years. These two tribes had harvested their cultivation and sold it ahead of the export deal this year, said a forest official.

The spices grown without using manure or pesticide under the conducive atmosphere of forests, supported with indigene knowledge, were taken to the markets by middlemen after fleecing the tribal people.

To counter this the Periyar Foundation, the participatory forest management programme in Thekkady, and Periyar Tiger Reserve joined hands to redeem the tribal communities out of debt traps they have landed by eliminating middlemen and fetching good prices for their produce.

Steps were taken under the auspices of the Department of Forests to get organic certification from Germany for Vanchivayal Oorali tribal colony, which has 59 families. Along with securing export-import licence from the Joint Directorate of Exports, Kochi, volunteers were sent for qualifying inspectors’ training for organic products certification.

Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams presided over the session. Sebastian Paul, MP; K.V. Thomas, Ernakulam MLA; E.S. Bijimol, Peerumedu MLA; T.M. Manoharan, Principal Chief Forest Conservator; K.P. Ouseph, Chief Conservator of Forest, Eco and Tribal Development; V.S. Varghese, Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife; M.S. Vasu, president, Kumily village panchayat; and Hydrose Meeran, chairman, Periyar East Confederation, spoke.

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