Shubhika Jan is trying to help farmers earn additional income by reusing parts of their crop which normally go to waste. The 22-year-old is making handmade paper from banana stem fibre and aromatic oils from local herbs.
Talking to Times Of India, Shubhika said, "Though Chhattisgarh is rich in the green belt, for my products like essential oils, which are extremely concentrated, abundant quantities of specific herbs are required to meet the high production. So, besides growing aromatic herbs on thirty acres of our own land, I also procure herbs from 6,000 farmers based in the Bastar region. These farmers get a substantial share of profit from selling oil and guaranteed buy back amount, per kg of the bio-mass."
It's been one and half years since Shubhika started her export business and it is in its initial phases. ''I exported handmade paper to Dubai, Pakistan, Singapore, and I've sent samples for further orders to buyers based in London and Russia. So far, essential oils are sold in the markets of Germany and USA,'' Shubhika said.
Shubhika's family business is in research and development of bio-technology and has a buy back policy in tissue culture raised banana plants and they procure banana fibre for handmade paper. Hence by selling back the fibre, the farmers earn up to Rs 16,000 from each acre.
She believes in team work and the success and scope of her work depends on the success of the farmers so to motivate them, the buying back policy for fibre adds additional income to their books.
Four machines, which crush the fibre to obtain the smooth part for making handmade papers are installed in the villages of Kawardha and Bemetara districts.
Despite the low demand for handmade paper in the domestic markets of Chhattisgarh, the product is being sold to the markets of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
(1 Indian Rupee=0.015USD)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
