Koraput
The humble tapioca is transforming lives in Odisha’s tribal villages. A women’s producer group of about 20, mostly Paraja tribals, in Koraput district’s Nargoch village, are rustling up tapioca chips. That are in demand in the outside market.
The tapioca (Manihot esculenta) is a tuber of the Cassava plant, known as simili kanda in Odia. Earlier The Women sold small quantities raw in the local market.
“They are now making and selling chips made of tapioca. Which they earlier grew solely for consumption,” says expert-cum-trainer Varghese, who was roped in by the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) that supports the tribal women.
Not only can tapioca chips be made all year round, but they are also more profitable than jackfruit, according to ORMAS officials
The market has also expanded to urban and suburban areas such as Jeypore and Koraput town. Raking in nearly Rs 100 per kg of profit for the group at a selling price of Rs 350.
The tribal women of Dasamantpur Block sell their produce under the banner of Nargoch Producers’ Group. They began with jackfruit chips, which fetched a monthly profit of about Rs 6,000. However, the jackfruit chips trade is confined to three months, June-August, the season for this vegetable.
On the other hand, not only can tapioca chips be made all year round, but they also bring in more money – approximately Rs 7,000 monthly, according to ORMAS officials.
Expansion Plans
‘Mission Tapioca’ has, so far, proved to be a resounding success. Packaged in matt finish wrapping, the tapioca chips are quite popular.
In fact, says Roshan Kumar Karthik, deputy chief executive officer of ORMAS-Koraput, “If their products are released into the wider market, including online, they will sell at about Rs 450 per kg, to earn them a profit margin of nearly Rs 150 per kg.”
“If this project turns out to be a complete success, we will also look to rope in women of the Gadaba and Kondh tribes — in blocks of Lamtaput, Nadipur, Similiguda, and Laxmipur,” he adds.
Varghese says the tribals will also be trained to make tapioca powder, papad, noodles, bread, and other such products in later phases.
Such is the versatility and business potential of this tuber that Sukanti Mohanandia, a member of Nargoch Producers’ Group who cultivated it on a small plot, now plans to spread tapioca over one acre, which is half her land, and sell it with jackfruit chips.
“Earlier, the sale of raw simili kanda fetched us only Rs 20 per bundle, which added up to Rs 15,000-20,000 a year, she recalls. “There was never enough money and life was wretched. But if our trade-in jackfruit and tapioca chips booms, we can earn up to Rs 40,000 annually.” The smile on her face says it all.
