Objective of the Project:

To empower women in Agriculture, Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) and Handicraft by making systematic interventions to enhance their participation and productivity.

To create and sustain livelihoods of rural women by establishing efficient local producers, companies and co-operatives.

Expected Outcomes

• Emergence of 6 Producer Companies and 2 Co-operatives in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh:

  • 6 Vegetable Growing Producer Companies and Co-operatives(in Andhra Pradesh and Two in Odisha)

  • 1 Non Timber Forest Products Producer Company/ Co-operative(Odisha)

  • 1 Handicraft Artisan based Producer Company/ Co-operative(Odisha)

• 3650 womenfolk would have access to production, procurement and marketing through self owned and self managed institutions.

• A self sufficient environment for household food security at the beneficiary level

• An environment for low cost intensive production, aggregation, soil conservation, use of organic manure and value addition( NTFP and Handicraft)

Target Area

4 Tribal dominated pockets of Southern and Central Odisha, 4 tribal and backward class pockets of Telengana and North Andhra Pradesh

Target Community

SC/ST/Backward Class, small and marginal women farmers, artisans and forest dwellers

Total Number of Beneficiaries

3650 women from 8 Producer Clusters

Duration of the Project

36 months (July 2012-June 2015)

Major Activities of the Project

• · Formation and Strengthening of Producer Companies and Co-Operatives

• · Initiation of Livelihood activities (Vegetable Cultivation, NTFP value addition and Bell Metal)

• · Capacity Building and Skill Development

• · Convergence and Linkages

Total Budget: Rs.1,39,93,000.00

PROGRESS SO FAR

Micro Plan

9 Micro Planning and Common Property Resource Mapping have been completed in 9 districts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, Micro Planning have been conducted in targetted areas of Vizag, Vizianagaram and Rangareddy District involving about 40 villages for developing Vegetable Growing Clusters.

In Odisha, Micro Planning activities have been completed in the target areas of Rayagada, Koraput, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal and Anugul District involving approximately 60 villages. For developing Vegetable Growers, NTFP collectors and Bell metal artisans cluster.

Cluster Formation

Andhra Pradesh: As per the target, 4 Vegetable Growing Cluster is to be developed involving 500 women in each cluster in the three districts of Andhra Pradesh which are Vizag, Vizianagaram and Rangareddy. Accordingly, 500 women vegetable growers in each cluster have been identified and listed in the respective areas by the partner NGOs. Initial village and community level meeting have been conducted and ideas shared. In each operational area 10-15 villages have been taken in to the cluster formation plan and accordingly the members have been identified.

Similarly in Odisha 2 Vegetable Growing Clusters in Anugul and Dhenkanal District, 1 NTFP cluster in Rayagada district and 1 Bell Metal cluster in Nayagarh district have been identified involving 500 farmers, 400 NTFP collectors and 250 Bell Metal artisans. Initial village and community level meetings have been conducted and seeding of ideas shared. In each operational area 10-15 villages have been taken in to the cluster formation plan and accordingly the members have been identified.

Trainings

20 training programmes have been conducted in Andhra Pradesh on basic Self Help Group dynamics, Leadership, Conflict Resolution and Financial Management, Organic Cultivation processes, Value Addition in Agri Products Etc. Nearly 500 women vegetable growers have been trained to set the initial road map for the formation of Cooperative/ Company. Similarly in Odisha 16 such basic and technical trainings have been conducted in 4 project areas on Product Design, Low Cost Technology intervention in Bell Metal sectors, NTFP Value Addition and Organic Cultivation along with the Group Mobilization and Conflict Resolution trainings. Nearly 400 women Bell Metal artisans, NTFP collectors and vegetable growers have been trained.

RGVN, being chosen as one of the partners by HIVOS in the country for evaluation, India Development Foundation has already taken up the assignment & started evaluating the Region. In its first phase, the Evaluation Team visited the MFIB partners and assessed their strengths and weaknesses including RGVN Regional office. A two-day mid-term evaluation workshop was conducted in Bhubaneswar involving key staffers of the partners as well as RGVN.