Empowering Transgender to become Agri-entrepreneur - A Novel initiative by ICAR-NRC on Banana

27 - 28 January, 2021, Tiruchirapalli

With its unique endeavor for “Empowering Transgender to become Agri-entrepreneur” with an objective of “Reaching the un-reached”, the ICAR-National Research Centre on Banana, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu organized the two-day Hands-on-Training Programme on “Banana based entrepreneurial avenues for economic empowerment of Transgender in Trichy District of Tamil Nadu” from 27th to 28th January, 2021.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Guest, Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR stressed on the scope of entrepreneurship and government initiatives for a Self Help Group, need for creating a brand and its promotion for up-scaling the marketing. Dr. Singh also assured of maximum support by the ICAR to the different stakeholders for undertaking the small scale agriculture-based enterprises.

Dr. B.K. Pandey, ADG (Horticultural Science - I), ICAR briefed about the government’s schemes including the cold storage and supply chain management. Dr. Pandey emphasized that empowering the transgender and bringing them into the mainstream by new employment opportunities and self-employment schemes are the ways to ensure income, achieve the real outcome in the current scenario.

In his valedictory address, Shri K. Natarajan, Station Director, All India Radio, Trichy, applauded the Institute’s efforts for up-scaling the livelihoods of different spectrum of the society.

Shri T.K.V. Rajan, Founder-Director, Indian Science Monitor & Indo-Asian Foundation of Archaeological Research outlined the importance of value-addition in bananas being the crop selected under the ODOP Scheme.

Dr. S, Uma, Director, ICAR- NRC on Banana emphasized that the initiative will open a plethora of options for the transgender in the years to come. She highlighted the business potential of banana wastes like central stems, flowers and peels will be explored.

The Institute’s Scientists and their team provided the hands-on-training to the participants for preparing the banana flower pickle, central stem juice, low-fat banana chips, prospects of establishing nursery for ornamental banana and multiplying traditional banana varieties by macro propagation. The participants were also apprised about the banking and funding avenues for converting the training outcome to sustainable business models.

The programme was a part of the NABARD funded Project of ICAR-NRC on Banana, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.

The programme was attended by First Batch of Eight Transgender including G. Kojol, President, SAFE Transgender Association, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.

(Source: ICAR-National Research Centre on Banana, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu)