Tribal women in Telangana are getting ready to manage food processing units in the backward regions of Telangana.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has equipped about 80 tribal women in Utnoor, Eturnagaram and Bhadrachalam in Telangana with skills to run and manage food processing units that are being set up in these blocks.

“The training programme covered food safety management systems, machine operations and maintenance, and quality control. The women will produce hygienically packed, safe and nutritious foods for their communities,” Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director-General of ICRISAT, has said.

The ICRISAT has enabled the women to form Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) to manage the food processing units.

One such food processing unit was inaugurated by Telangana Minister for Endowment, Law, Forest and Environment Allola Indrakaran Reddy in Utnoor in Adilabad district.

The Komaram Bheem Peanut Chikki Industries, which is promoted by first generation tribal entrepreneurs, will supply its products to government nutrition programmes and to anganwadis in the tribal region.

It is set up with the help of Tribal Cooperative Finance Corporation Limited (TRICOR), Tribal Welfare Department of Telangana State and Agribusiness and Innovation Platform at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

“This collaboration aims to localise production and address malnutrition, besides improving economic conditions of tribal communities,” an ICRISAT statement said.

The food processing unit is designed and equipped with machinery as per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

The project trains tribal women to be ‘Nutrition Entrepreneurs’. “It is critical to ensure evolution of local value chains around local food production and consumption to make vulnerable tribal communities sustainable, especially post COVID-19,” Kiran Sharma, Deputy Director-General of ICRISAT, said.

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