Port Blair, July 12: Sea food is accepted as a staple food in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which is surrounded by sea. The islander’s food seems to be incomplete without sea food, a delicacy at every home and served as continental dishes in hotels as well.
With the rising demand of sea food of Andaman Islands, value addition in the form of pickles has made it possible to reach it conveniently to distant places. Pickle making has not only made it convenient for sea food lovers but has also become a source of self-employment. Many home makers across Andamans are getting involved in the business.
One such entrepreneur is Smt. Laxmi Prasad who works as Community Resource Person (CRP) under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) scheme being implemented by the Rural Development Department. Prior to joining DAY-NRLM, Laxmi toiled hard as a helper in a shop to make her ends meet. After joining the DAY-NRLM family through formation of Self Help Group (SHG) a major turnover came in her life. She could obtain a livelihood activity based training on pickle making and started the business of sale of homemade pickle with the financial support from her SHG.
Explaining her journey from home maker to an entrepreneur, Laxmi explained, “It all started back in the year 2016 after joining the NRLM Pragati SHG. Being the part of NRLM SHG, I got opportunity to have 07 days training on Pickle making where me and my group members learned pickle making and its preservation techniques. Later I availed loan of Rs. 50000/- from my SHG and purchased necessary utensils, spices and oil and made 50 bottles of prawn pickle, which was purchased by the local populace.
“As my pickle got popular, I gradually started making and selling sea food homemade pickles in the local market, tourist places and SHG melas with the help of ANIRLM Coordination and support. Now my ‘Andaman Special Sea Food Pickles’ has a very good demand in the local market and am earning around Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10000 per month from sale of pickles”.
“I’m planning to purchase bottle sealing machine and better packing material for sale of our pickles in the other markets of Islands. I have also has applied for FSSAI License through my SHG and have got the same for making homemade pickles of prawn and fishes. I have also started making pickles of different kinds of fruits and vegetables and I also plan to avail a loan from the Village Organization Uday to expand my business”, Laxmi said expressing her gratitude to the NRLM group and their staffs for their supporting.
The Department of Rural Development with the implementation of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) is supporting the poor rural women to strengthen and enable them overcome the various limitations and establish on their own calibre.