ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore Organizes Campaign to Economically Empower Tribal Women in Attappady

18 August 2026, Coimbatore

ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, organized a one-day campaign on “Economic Empowerment of Tribal Women of Attappady” (CEETA) at its Research Centre, Agali, Kerala, today. The programme was conducted under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes Component (DAPSTC) with the objective of promoting livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship and improved household nutrition among tribal women.

Thirty tribal women participated in the campaign, which featured training on government welfare and livelihood schemes, livestock and poultry-based enterprises, food entrepreneurship and value addition of local produce.

The programme highlighted the socio-economic and health challenges faced by tribal women in Attappady, with emphasis on addressing malnutrition and maternal anaemia through entrepreneurship and livelihood development. Technical sessions focused on value addition to traditional foods, food processing, packaging and marketing, including hands-on training in banana jam preparation.

Participants were also introduced to low-input, high-return livestock and poultry enterprises, including Attappady Black goat and Gramapriya chicken, along with fodder management, animal health and marketing practices. Awareness was created on tribal welfare and agricultural development schemes, while women were encouraged to cultivate GI-tagged Attappady Attukombu Avara and Attappady Thuvara and register their SHGs on the Kathir app to access services and entrepreneurship opportunities.

As part of the campaign, all 30 participants were provided with food-grade stainless-steel utensils, extension literature on traditional recipes and mushroom cultivation, and certificates of participation. The initiative underscored ICAR-SBI’s commitment to strengthening livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship and nutritional security among tribal communities through capacity building and technology-led interventions.

(Source: ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore)