Tribals are having feel good factor and their self confidence has gone up like anything, thanks to an innovative drive of the Kandhamal district authorities to develop poultry sector on a sustainable method.
Secretary Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (FARD) Bishnupada Sethi during his four-day-long visit to the tribal zone came to know after interacting with the tribal farmers, mostly women, who are engaged in successful poultry farming.
After the State Government directed all the Secretaries to go for field visit during the first week of every month, Sethi came down to Kandhamal and reviewed various programmes of FARD sector.
During his visit of far-flung areas, he talked to the members of Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs), who have taken up poultry farming through Kandhamal Poultry Development Corporation limited (KPDCl). The KPDCl has turned out to be a change agent for rural entrepreneurship and livelihood.
It is a public private community partnership (PPCP) model, which is a platform for corporate and community leaders, helping out tribal famers engaged in poultry farming.
ST and SC Development Department, Kandhamal District Veterinary Wing, district administration of Kandhamal, ITDA Baliguda and a private player have joined hands to float the Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV) to develop and create environment for rural entrepreneurship development in the tribal zone.
Thanks to the drive of KPDCl, SHGs and grassroots level poultry growers are receiving direct financial benefits and have been successful in getting livelihood sustenance.
Going details of the implementation of programme, the private player is providing all inputs like chicks, feed and medicine to the SHGs. So all the recurring expenditure is managed by the private partner, said an official of KPDCl.
SHGs are managing the birds by contributing labour till the birds attain the age of marketing which is 42 days.
It has come to light that the SHG members are getting `5 per kg of birds as the growing cost i.e. on an average `10, 000 per batch birds in 42 days.
Thus one SHG is making a net income of about `50,000 to `60,000 per annum as growing cost, revealed Raikia Tehsildar Pradeep Kumar Raut.
This is a sustainable method and besides the growing cost, the SHGs are also getting dividends as shareholders of the KPDCl, said Dr Raut.