Sustainable Livelihood of Palm workers and their families by Value adding to Palm Juice

Introduction

ARULAGAM proposed to initiate “Value addition to Palm Juice ( Neera) to sustain the livelihood of Palm workers and their families, with the aim of preserving, bottling and marketing the Palm juice using cost effective appropriate methods and technologies. This project was supported by National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC) with 1,00,000/ to undertake and implement the proposed plan with the active involvement of palm workers. The uncertain income from palm juice extracted from the trees, which should be processed and sold out within 4 hours because of that the palm juice will get fermented. In order to overcome the problems, preserving the palm juice using appropriate processing methods to keep the juice (Neera) for longer time in ensuring sustainable livelihood options of the families involved palm juice extraction work. ARULAGAM has adapted the following strategic approaches to make success of the project to be replicated and sustained for long term:

1. Selection of area for implementation

In and around Koviloor village in Dindigul district, where palm extraction works have been traditionally practiced by the palm workers, with whom ARULAGAM had established rapport and relationships with 40 palm extraction workers and made transparency on the project implementation for the future sustainability. The palm workers and women had rendered their cooperation and involvement in the proposed activities. During the season (Usually January to June), every day 100 litres of Neera were collected from the palm juice extraction workers for processing and marketing, as the preliminary initiative.

Initiatives launched by ARULAGAM to make the process into successful one with the following activities:

• Identification of beneficiaries
• Rapport building and project orientation meeting with different stakeholders
• Purchase of materials and instruments
• Installation of instrument and work site preparation
• Pilot phase activity with few beneficiary Selection of beneficiaries
• Organize training for product preparation
• Organize training for managing the activity
• Assess market options
• Market linkages & Cost benefit analysis
• Rapport with various outlets
• Actual selling of NEERA and Follow up action

2. Preserving the Palm Juice

1. The white palm sap, at initial stages (when collected) does not ferment (non-alcoholic) and tastes very sweet.
2. As the time passes the sap get fermented, intoxicates and tastes sour.
3. The fermented liquid is known as 'Palm Wine' or Kallu (Tamil).
4. As the palm sap gets fermented very quickly, they apply lime on the surface of the pot as a preservative.
5. The lime prevents quick fermentation.

After extraction of palm juice from the trees ,usually early in the morning, are collected from the individual palm workers and preservation measures had been adapted with the technical support and guidance rendered by Prof Dr. David Ravindran (Gandhigram rural University) and Mrs. Anbu Vakini( Nutrient Specialist ), to enhance the production and without changing the tastes and quality of the juice while marketing.

ARULAGAM has established one processing unit at the field where the proposed initiatives have to b launched in order to make easy accessibility to procure the extracted palm juice immediately after extraction and to process the juice in the field itself.

Steps involved in processing and preserving the extracted palm juice

All the men and women of the Palm families involved in preserving of palm juice preservation using simple methods which are cost effective, with these methods, rate of decomposition of palm juice is minimized or arrested and enable the juice to keep for more than 2 to 40 days. The variances in retaining taste of preserved juice are affected by many factors such as tastes varies with pH of juice , trees, time of collection, location of trees, climatic conditions, applying lime etc. these are the factors we faced as problems. So we encountered the problems of storing the packed juice in days which varies from 2 -40 days. So ARULAGAM team decides to market the products to understand their preference over the tastes and quality.

3. Packing and Marketing of Palm Juice

In this way, the preserved Palm juice is marketed in the form of sealed bottles. On considering the costs of making tetra pack, ARULAGAM considers the bottles for re-use of the same in the coming months with frequency.

ARULAGAM marketed the bottled Palm juices in Dindigul and Karur with the support and encouragements of Khadi showrooms in Karur District and fruit juice shops in Dindigul District. During this period, we faced much hindrance in marketing the juice, as we are not that much expertise in marketing strategies. So, ARUALGAM arranged Palm Juice Introductory Functions both in Karur and Dindigul in which Mr. M.P. Gurusamy, Economist, Mr. Krishnan, Secretary of Palm Worker’s Society, Mr. Pamayan, Environmentalist,  Mr. Gopalakrishnan, Politician, noted Doctors and entrepreneurs participated and insisted the need of using palm juice as health drink with many nutrient values, instead of artificially flavoured beverages. This meeting helps to spread the message to reach the people. The programme ends with the documentary film “ Open of Insight” depicts the life of the blind palm worker involved in this work for years.

Lobbying with Government in Expanding marketing sources at state level

Based on our experiences and encouragements in marketing the bottled palm juice in Dindigul and Karur regions, ARULAGAM decides to spread the methods throughout the state, and meet the Tamil Nadu Khadi Department officials at Kuralgam, Chennai where they appreciated the initiatives and render encouraging ideas. We also made an attempt to make powder from the palm juice and get succeeded to some extent with the help of Mr. Siddiq who is the Food processing in charge of the Gandhigram Trust, Dindigul.

At the time, we met Mr.Kumari Anandan, The Chairman of Tamilnadu Palmyrah Development Board, and other officials of Tamil Nadu Palm Products Development Board. He appreciated our initiatives and promised to promote the methods for the welfare and livelihood of palmyrah workers. He assured to recommend the method to the Mr.M. Karunanithi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and discussed about it. With the keen interest, our Chief Minister has recently initiated a project for packaging Neera (Padhaneer) in tetra-pack. The product will be marketed by Aavin, the milk co-operative. It is the success to our lobbying work to make changes in the lives of families involved in Palm juice extraction traditionally.

ARULAGAM is glad to note that on account of sustained effort of Arulagam and its effective lobbying with Palmyrah Development Board, the Government of Tamil Nadu has recently initiated a project for packaging Palm Juice in Tetra-pack and palm related products.

This is a great success story for Arulagam. We have fulfilled the mission of providing self employment for the palm workers of Tamil Nadu.

4. Media coverage

All the programmes on value added palm juice have been spread through various dailies and magazines in Tamilnadu as news and articles (enclosed as annexure) on the use of Bottled Palm juice to reach the people.

5. Future initiatives planned to be implemented by ARULAGAM

ARULAGAM plans to add value to Palm Juice (Neera) with the production of the following products by involving the women of the Palmyra workers to empower and sustain their livelihoods throughout the year.

1. Formation of Palm worker family groups in terms of share holding groups, that is every palm extraction family holds a share by supplying the extracted palm juice to the processing unit.
2. They families will receive the amount for the juice supplied to the processing unit.
3. The family members- women- involve in processing, preservation, packing and marketing the palm juice by exploring marketing outlets and sources with ARULAGAM.
4. Profit sharing to the share holding family members ( usually during non-season period)
5. Promoting market outlet for the value added products like Gur, Crystal sugar making, Palm candy production, other than palm juice marketing.
6. These strategies will enhance the livelihood options and ensured employment opportunities to the women throughout the year, especially during non- palm juice season (July- December)

Gur

When Neera is converted into a solid or semi-solid crystal line mass it is called gur. It has got a wide use as sweetening agent in Indian village food products. Palm gur has a characteristic smell of its own.

Crystal Sugar Making

The initial process of sugar making is practically the same as that of gur. In this case also, juice is de-limed, filtered and boiled. The juice when it reaches 110°C temperature is poured in the crystalliser.

Palm Candy

Like palm gur, palm candy has also its importance among the products of Neera. It is being produced and used since procuring sweet Neera from palmyra has been known. It has got its various uses in Ayurvedic medicinal preparation as well as direct use for thrist,Urine trouble and body heat, small pox, and cough and cold

Plant Growth Promoter

The unused Palm juice can be used as plant growth promoter instead of chemical fertilizer.

6. Planting of Palm Tree Saplings

ARULAGAM is planned to plant 1 million palm seeds along the coast lines not only to promote palm cultivation in considering the sustainable livelihood options for the families involved in palm works, but also creating green belt along the coast lines to prevent the harmful effects of heavy flood waves and Tsunami.

7. Acknowledgement

On behalf of Arulagam sincerely thank to National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC) for their support services to undertake and implement the project into success and the following eminent personalities in promoting and sustaining lives of Palmyrah workers:

• Mr. M. Karunanithi, Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
• Mr. Kumari Anandan, Former Member in Parliament and Chairman, Tamil Nadu Palmyra Development Board
• Mr. K. Ramachandran, Honorable Minister for Khadi and officials of Khadi Industries.
• Dr. David Ravindran of Gandhigram Rural University
• Mrs. Anbuvahini, Nutrient specialist.
• Mr. Siddique, Food processing unit, Gandhigram

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Submitted to:
National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC)