Stage 2
Identification and Selection of Interventions
The second stage of the design process is to take stock of all the information collated under stage 1 and to conduct feasibility study of the aspirations and activities that rural women have articulated.
Step 7. Feasibility of women’s aspirations that could be further explored for designing relevant interventions.
The activities listed in Table 10 are those that were most articulated by rural women in Minjur. (See Table 6 for the full list).
Table 10. Activities identified for further exploration in Minjur.
|
Location |
Activities Identified for Exploration |
Minjur, Thiruvallur District, TamilNadu |
Small business: (Grocery Shop, Tiffin centres, Small petty shops, Retailing business (eg:cloth shop)
Fishing
Agriculture in owned/leased land
Eco tourism
Dairy
Poultry/ feed manufacturing unit |
|
In order to develop the ideas put forward in Table 10, interviews were held with the same group of respondents who articulated these ideas and also with the agencies available in the region, namely traders, finance providers, development departments, research organizations etc, which could potentially support these activities. This facilitated the analysis of the different activities (strengths and weaknesses) and the kind of support that would be required for the activities to be successful.
Table 11. Feasibility study of activities for Minjur.
|
Activities |
Strength |
Weakness |
Comments |
Small business
Grocery Shop
Tiffin centres
Small petty shops
Retailing business (cloth shop) |
Can be undertaken in the same or neighbouring village;
Do not need much specialised skill;
Need only little Investment/credit |
Too many shops already exists;
Buying capacity of the people are less;
Fishermen mostly buy produce from the same market where they go to sell fish;
People prefer to buy on credit and running an enterprise in the same villages on credit basis can potentially lead to loss |
Though the community only needs credit to start these small businesses, lack of additional demand can result in losses. |
Fishing
(in owned/hired crafts) |
Most of the villages are on the coast of Pulicat lake;
Fishing is a known occupation;
Most of the women would like to get credit to buy boats for hiring purpose |
Over-fishing has already led to reduced fishing, fishing by rotation |
Not viable as an additional income generation option |
Eco-tourism |
Pulicat is emerging as an important tourist spot where people come to see the estuary, bird sanctuary and the Dutch monument |
The demand is more only during holidays and weekends |
If trained to assist/support tourists, women SHGs can manage eateries/small restaurants; act as tourist guides; and can operate boat hiring services for tourists.
Scope exists, needs further exploration |
Agriculture in owned/leased land
(rain fed paddy and aquaculture) |
In agriculture based villages, women would like to improve agriculture and aquaculture in owned or leased lands. |
Lands are predominantly saline and have to be reclaimed;
Farming is mostly rain fed;
Poor groundwater availability;
Professional support to improve farming or establish and maintain aquaculture units not available. |
Land reclamation is costly and the returns from paddy farming may not justify costs. |
Dairy |
Adequate demand for milk in the region (hotels, local consumption) |
Lack of grazing lands and fodder shortages-lack of organised milk societies |
Scope for development of quality fodder in the region is low.
Fodder transported from other regions would make dairy farming costly.
Co-operative Dairy Aavin is procucing milk about 10 km away from this region. If enough milk is produced in the region, they would be interested to start procurement and delivery of services.
Scope exists, would need further exploration |
Value addition in fish - fish drying, fish and prawn pickling.
Poultry feed manufacture from waste fish |
Raw materials are available locally,
Some of the women are already trained by NGOs.
They produced now based on demand
Increasing demand for value added fish products mainly from super markets in cities like Chennai
Fish waste is currently transported out by agents for feed manufacture –Some women already trained by local NGOs |
Need capital, training and entrepreneurship skills which are lacking now.
Unless a sustainable market chain (regular supply of quality products) is established, this enterprise won’t grow |
Can be sustainable only if undertaken commercially by SHGs or federation of SHGs with technical and marketing support.
The women need handholding to emerge as entrepreneurs.
Scope exists, would need further exploration |
Poultry |
Increased feed availability from the left over fishery resources |
Support for disease management is currently weak.
Need market tie ups |
Scope exists, would need further exploration |
|
The feasibility study in Table 11 highlighted four activities that have the most potential to be successful.
- Ecotourism,
- Dairying,
- Value-addition in fish
- Poultry farming
These ‘best bets’ were based on discussions with a number of groups including community groups, officials, traders, financial agencies.
Step 8. Identification of intervention with back-up support (including microfinance services, credit availability and access; market demand and supply of goods and services, market network; knowledge based institutions and other service providers and value addition possibilities)
Organisation support is required to underpin the four activities identified in Step 7.
Table 12. Organisational Support to underpin Activities in Minjur.
| Programme |
Support Services Needed |
Support and service providers |
Value Addition of Fishery Resources
Pickling fish, prawn and crab |
Training on managing small enterprises
Training on quality management (standards, quality, packaging)
Marketing tie ups |
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation
- Marketing (this was assured by the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Training of SHGs from resource persons at the Livestock Research Institute, Kattupakkam)
South Indian Federation of Fishermen Associations (SIFFS)- Marketing (IFAD, TN is hopeful of bringing SIFFS to support this endeavour)
Jeeva Jothi- an NGO in the region has set up departmental stores (WHERE) and they are keen to market the products of SHGs including value added fish products
Other NGOs such as PLANT andCRENIO have trained women in preparation of value added fish products. Their skills and experiences would be of great help. |
Dairying |
Ensuring quality fodder availability locally is essential for strengthening this activity.
Veterinary assistance by the local Animal Husbandry Department
Milk societies Aavin-Finance |
Livestock extension on good practices in cattle management
Veterinary Assistance by the office of the Asst.Director, Animal Husbandry
Aavin, the co-operative milk dairy operating at Madhavaram- their services could be explored |
Eco tourism |
Linking up with women SHG
Financial assistance from Government Programmes- construction of structures and buying boats |
Madras Social Service Society (MSSS) already ventured but yet to reap the output-Assured of rendering awareness building, motivational and capacity building expertise
Department of Tourism- schemes to promote eco-tourism
An ongoing initiative with SHGs, NGO and panchayats couldn’t progress due to disputes at the panchayat level |
Back Yard Poultry at a remarkable scale/poultry feed manufacturing plant |
Already few Households are maintaining it-need to be up scaled-linking with outside market agencies-
Good potential for the availability of poultry feed
Lot of raw material available to take up this activity. Right now outsiders coming and purchasing the waste fishery resources for poultry feed manufacturing.
Can be taken up locally. |
Vencobb, Suguna, -these two main agencies in the broiler business operate (sales) at Ponneri and Pulicat.
These locations can serve as a good procurement centre for these companies.
This has to be explored
Veterinary Assistance by the office of the Asst.Director, Animal Husbandry
for training para vets and providing diagnostic and treatment services |
|
