Keonjhar Phula Badi: Leveraging Traditional Knowledge for Enriching Livelihoods Through Government Intervention

Bhubaneswar: Phula badi has been a part and parcel of Odia cuisine since ages. The crunchy Urad dal side dish is the favorite for all Odias be it the urban connoisseur or the common man from the village. While changing food habits have made way for dishes from the north and south of the country to the hinterlands of the state, Phula Badi has retained its uniqueness and position intact among other dishes of Odisha. And when we talk of Phula Badi, the first place that comes to our mind is Keonjhar because of its popularity for supplying the best of Badi. Cashing on the people’s preference for good quality Phula Badi and growing demand, the Women Self Help Groups under the aegis of Mission Shakti, particularly from Keonjhar District, have made Badi making their primary livelihood. It has helped thousands of women sustain financially and enrich their livelihoods. Mission Shakti, with an aim to make all women self reliant financially and economically, has made significant interventions in terms of financial support and official facilitation.

While Keonjhar has become famous for its Phula Badi, Sri Maa Producer group has become more famous for its quality products. Based out of Tentulinanda village in Sadar Block of Keonjhar, the thirteen years old institution has become an icon of women entrepreneurship. What started as a small pastime for the housewives to make Badis for their own households, today it has become a major source of income for more than 155 women entrepreneurs. And the credit for this goes to the revolution called Mission Shakti – an initiative that is helping women to achieve economic independence by enabling them to have independent employment.

With government intervention through Mission Shakti and help from ORMAS, the members of the Sri Maa Producer Group today produce three to five kilograms of Badis per member per day regularly for commercial purposes. They make a profit of around Rs. 65/- per member per kilogram of badi sold. They have also brought in some changes in the traditional Badis according to the changing demands of costumers. They have added Masala flavours and sesame seeds to the Badis to make them more modern and tasty. The Producer Group has also diversified its portfolio of products by including a variety of Papads and pickles. The group members have also brought in schanges in the shape of the badi from the traditional round shape to the design of a flower with its petals open. Use of various spices and condiments has given them a modern avatar with new taste and texture.

When we talk about Sri Maa Producer Group, it is an active community institution formed with the help of Mission Shakti that had its humble beginning in September 2008. Presently, 155 female members of 12 Women Self Help Groups traditionally involved in the production of Phula Badi are part of the Producer Group totally managed by women. With active encouragement and financial and Capacity Building support from Mission Shakti and the district administration, Sri Maa Producer Group today can boast itself as the brightest example of Women Empowerment. The Common Facility Center for the Group, constructed at Dimbo Gram Panchayat using the SGSY Funds, today acts as the center of activity for the Group members. ORMAS has also provided machinery support with Grinding Machines, Packaging Machines and Dryer to the Producer Group. Sri Maa Group received Institution Building and Capacity Building support from the government during the year 2013-14.

What makes the Producer Group one of the leading groups in the district is that it has totally refunded the Nine Lakh rupees Working Capital Support it got from the government in two phases. With the passing of time, branding plus packaging has been developed and prospects for new packaging has been initiated. The members involved with the producer group have taken skill upgradation training for new products. ORMAS and the district administration, with their vast experience, extended market linkage through bulk tie ups and participation in exhibitions. There are also plans in the offing to include the Group to the Micro cluster. A modern building having four rooms was constructed under SGSY Scheme for the Group that has helped them expand their capacity.

The hard work of the Mission Shakti members resulted in accolades from various quarters. The Group has got the Best Sales Group at the Sishir Saras exhibition held in state Capital Bhubaneswar during 2016-17. Also, the group won awards such as Best Display at Paradip during 2016-17, Best Sales in Balasore during 2019-20 & 2018-19, Best Sales at Jajpur during 2016-17, Best Sales at Angul in 2014-15 and 3rd Prize in Best Sales at Kendrapara during 2015-16.
In terms of social impact, the government interventions have resulted in the increase in the income and social status of Women in the Producer Group as they are now considered productive members of the household. Mission Shakti has transformed their lives and improved significantly the standard of living including better education to children, Food Security and spending Capability. As they have adopted the traditional methods of producing the Phula Badi, it has low impact on the environment with nil pollution. Use of Organic raw materials such as Urad dal and til have enhanced the demand for the Phula badi produced by Sri Maa Producer group.

Speaking on the success of the Sri Maa Producer group, Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakare says, “We have always provided the intervention when required. The hard work of the members made them successful. They have become role models for whole of the country. Our producers are today producing Phula Badi that are famous all around the world. We will use their experience and try to grow more and more Producer Groups with different product portfolio. All kudos to Mission Shakti, which has stood up for economic empowerment of the women folk. ”