TODAY -
Yokchabi Enterprises : Harvesting fruits of Lotus
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 21 2024:
How many parts of lotus plants are edible ? It is this simple curiosity coupled with the desire to be self reliant which led to the establishment of Yokchabi Enterprises, a food processing business which makes lotus tea, Thambou chips (lotus stem chips) and a variety of other items.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, founder of Yokchabi Enterprises Hijam Ranjana said that she started her business in 2021 to be self-reliant.
Ranjana (48) is a resident of Kongba Ucheckon and she started her food processing at her residence as the workshed.
She is married to Atom Hemanta and the couple has two children, one son and a daughter.
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Saying that she encountered different obstacles at the initial stage of her business, Ranjana continued that she gained many valuable lessons on food processing after attending a training programme organised by Central Agricultural University (CAU) .
Ranjana said that she started selling Thambou chips which cost Rs 10 per packet at the neighbourhood shops.
Saying that she now produces Thambou chips which cost upto Rs 80 per packet with better packaging quality, the entrepreneur maintained that she also sells her items at Delhi outlets with the help of the Horticulture Department.
Apart from Thambou chips, Yokchabi Enterprises also produces Thambou seasoning powder, dry fruit candy, plain and spicy cassava (u-mangra) chips and a mixture of Thambou, coconut and dry fruits among many other food items.
Ranjana said that Yokchabi Enterprises has also launched a lotus tea but proper marketing hasn't been done as of yet.
Saying that she buys the lotus stem from Waithou, Mayang Imphal, Bishnupur and fruits from Ukhrul, Senapati and Mao, Ranjana added that the raw materials (thambal 108) for lotus tea come from Sendra.
Thambal 108 is more aromatic, she said.
Ranjana said that there is shortage of raw material as lotus plants are not harvested at many places.
Saying that Yokchabi Enterprises mostly sells its products in Imphal East and Imphal West, Ranjana added that she makes about Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 on average daily.
She said that she is targeting to increase her selling capacity to Rs 5000 daily.
Yokchabi Enterprises employs six people and they get Rs 300 a day at the lowest, she added.
Ranjana is the beneficiary of the Vocal for Local scheme of the Horticulture Department.
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