The huge drop in patronage owing to COVID-19 regulations has badly affected food-based ventures, including traditional messes and food joints, run by women entrepreneurs in Kozhikode district. Ventures by women from low-income groups are the worst-hit.
Doorstep delivery of food and home-made snacks too came to an end with the temporary closure of offices and work-from-home system adopted by companies.
The owner of a mess run by women near Arayidathupalam said several workers had became jobless after the closure of the unit. “Though we tried to resume the business by delivering parcels, takers were minimal, and we were forced to close it,” she said.
A number of women self-help groups (SHGs), which were earlier engaged in food-based ventures under various government schemes, are also facing hard times because of the loss of a steady income from outdoor sales or doorstep delivery. According to members of various SHGs, they may not be even able to pay the monthly instalments for loans taken to start such units. District Kudumbashree Mission coordinator Kavitha Satyan said one of the worst-hit enterprises by Kudumbashree entrepreneurs in the district is the home-shop business, which had around 1,000 active owners. The business, which helped entrepreneurs sell home-made products, worth ₹5 crore every year is now off track, she added.
“For a few women-led catering units, the sole relief now is the contract for supplying food to various first-line treatment centres. However, the business of joint liability groups earlier engaged in the production of cottage food ventures is totally down,” said Ms. Sathyan. She hoped that the Rebuild Kerala project of the State government would come up with some more relief measures.