A tribal woman using the solar-powered flour grinding machine to grind millets at Kathirimalai in Anthiyur taluk in Erode district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A customised solar-powered flour grinding machine, installed at a cost of ₹1.96 lakh at Kathirimalai remote hamlet in Anthiyur Taluk, will enable 75 tribal families to make value-added products from millets and improve their livelihood.

The hamlet is located at an elevation of 3,600 feet inside the reserve forest of Chennampatti forest range in Erode Forest Division that could be reached after trekking on foot for four hours from the foothills at Kathiripatti that come under Salem district. In the absence of road connectivity, people, all belonging to the Solaga community, have to reach Kathiripatti and proceed towards Kolathur in Salem district to purchase essential commodities. Also, the hamlet has no power connection and only solar panels light up the households.

Since it’s a hill area, farm lands are rain-fed in which people cultivate ragi/ kelvaragu (finger millet), kambu (pearl millet) and thinai (foxtail millet) and they grind the millets at Kolathur and consume it. An average family needs over 75 kg of millet flour annually and they grind it manually using a grain stone grinder ( Thirugai). Thus, all the families grind five ton millets for their consumption annually.

Earlier, people traverse forest in groups and grind the millets and reach home which takes over 10 hours. Due to the movement of elephants, rain and power disruptions in the grinding area, their travel was disrupted.

 “Since the grinding process is carried out manually, consumption of millets has been reduced over the years. People started to sell their produce at a low price and purchase rice and essential commodities”, said Collector H. Krishnanunni, who charted out a plan to install a flour grinding machine.

Under the CSR activity, Erode District Canara Bank office funded the project and a private company designed a grinding machine and tested it for two months. The machine was transported to the hamlet and the trial run was conducted recently. Families were trained on making value added products out of millet flour and they are expected to come out with new products soon.

“By using the machine, people can make value-added products and sell it and get their livelihood improved”, said the Collector. Also, the dependency on rice will reduce over a period of time and people are expected to consume more of their staple food made of millets.

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Printable version | Sep 10, 2022 6:06:28 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/kathirimalai-tribal-families-in-erode-to-make-value-added-products-from-millets-and-improve-their-livelihood/article65874204.ece