Farmers to Entrepreneurs A Journey of Indigenous Women of Niyamgiris in Odisha

Perched in the foothills of Niyamgiris, in the remote Gram Panchayat of Chatikona, lies the village of Marthaguda. Bissamcuttack Block of Rayagada district of Odisha is inhabited predominantly by scheduled tribes (59.67%)1 . Rain fed agriculture, wage earning and migration to states like Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala in search of livelihoods during lean season constitute the livelihood portfolio of the village. Sloppy and hilly terrain favours the cultivation of turmeric by around six thousand Dongria Kondh farmers of Kurli and Kondh farmers of Chatikona. Women of Marthaguda used to sell raw turmeric to local business owners at meagre price in the absence of milling facility in the vicinity. Tapping this opportunity of availability of good quality turmeric in bulk and scope of setting up of a women owned and run turmeric processing unit, Harsha Trust supported the women of Marthaguda to form “The Maa Mahalaxmi Women Turmeric Producer Group”. With technical and fi nancial assistance from Selco Foundation, a turmeric processing unit with a capacity to grind about 144 kilos within 8 hours, during summers was set up. This case captures the transformational journey of women of “The Maa Mahalaxmi Women Turmeric Producer Group” from farmers to entrepreneurs