Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 01 February 2025
In a big transfer to empower ladies and improve Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) manufacturing within the Nicobar Islands, the District Administration has initiated specialised coaching periods for Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Conducted in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), the periods goal to equip ladies with superior strategies for VCO extraction, packaging, and advertising and marketing.
The initiative comes within the wake of Nicobar’s Virgin Coconut Oil receiving the celebrated Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a recognition that underscores its distinctive high quality and conventional manufacturing strategies. With this coaching, the administration seeks to make sure that ladies concerned in VCO manufacturing preserve excessive requirements of high quality and hygiene whereas maximizing their revenue potential.
A strategic assembly chaired by Mr. Amit Kale, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Nicobar, and attended by Mr. Aditya Sangotra, Assistant Commissioner of Nancowry, together with different senior officers, laid out the roadmap for strengthening the VCO business. Key directives had been issued to arrange coaching periods for SHGs, with professional trainers from Krishi Vigyan Kendras guiding individuals on integrating fashionable equipment with conventional extraction strategies. The periods emphasize technical experience, hygiene, and high quality management to boost the general manufacturing course of.
Experts from KVKs have already performed hands-on coaching for ladies SHGs in Kamorta, Chowra, and Teresa. These periods not solely launched superior manufacturing strategies but in addition bolstered the significance of sustaining stringent hygiene requirements to make sure high-quality output.
As a part of a broader initiative to strengthen the VCO worth chain, the CD Block Nancowry has established a devoted producing group named ‘Manula Mathai Payuh’, comprising members from present SHGs in Nancowry and in addition open to participation from SHGs in Campbell Bay and Car Nicobar. The collective will facilitate the aggregation of surplus manufacturing from all SHGs, making certain streamlined packaging, labeling, and advertising and marketing of Nicobar’s Virgin Coconut Oil. This structured strategy is predicted to boost profitability and create sustainable livelihood alternatives for tribal ladies.
The coaching periods are anticipated to have a transformative affect, enabling ladies to provide premium-quality VCO that meets market calls for whereas preserving the normal strategies that make Nicobar’s Virgin Coconut Oil distinctive. By fostering technical experience and financial independence, this initiative marks a vital step in direction of strengthening the area’s VCO business and empowering its ladies entrepreneurs.
