Forest dept’s ‘Vanika’ helps tribals sell produce

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The announcement of lockdown necessitated by the Covid-19 outbreak resulted in forest dwellers losing their access to the local markets. However, a recent initiative titled ‘Vanika’ by the state Forest and Wildlife Department has come to the aid of tribals residing in forest regions in the district. The programme has enabled them to sell agriculture and forest produce online. 

The brainchild of section forest officer of Kottoor Sinukumar K C, beat forest officer Gopika Surendran and a few other forest officials, Vanika has already facilitated the sale of produce worth `1.5 lakh. “We noticed that tribal people weren’t getting a fair share of income for their produce. So, we started kani markets but due to the lockdown, items were not getting sold. Hence, we started ‘Vanika’, an online initiative to ensure that tribals get a fair value and could earn their livelihood,” said Gopika who is also the secretary of Mankode Eco-development Committee.

The Thriuvananthapuran wildlife division comprises 54 tribal settlements. 
The Kottoor section has about six settlements while the Agasthyavanam Biological Park houses 11. Facilitated by Mankode Eco-development Committee, the agricultural produce including pepper, kasthuri turmeric, Malabar tamarind, jackfruit, banana, tapioca and honey are being directly procured at market rates by Kottoor section staff from tribals settled in Agasthyavanam Biological Park, Neyyar and Peppara ranges. Besides these, baskets and other handcrafts by tribal people are also put on sale.

Under the Vanika initiative, a WhatsApp group is being run to undertake marketing and sale. “All details of items are posted on the WhatsApp group. The items are procured from the Agasthya forest twice a week with the help of the forest department’s vehicle,” says Gopika. 

The tribals are usually paid by the eco-development committee who sources the produce and delivers it to the homes of the customers, in both urban and rural areas. Currently, the items are being delivered only in the capital city.Besides creating awareness on Covid-19 and setting up hand wash kiosks near tribal hamlets, the forest department has also come up with a comprehensive action plan to tackle issues of food scarcity. Provisions and pickles made by the tribal self-help groups have being distributed to various tribal settlements under Thiruvananthapuram wildlife division by Padma Mahanti, chief conservator of forest, 
eco-development and tribal welfare.