A ten-member women Self Help Group named ‘Ardrakam’ has started running a Ginger value addition unit at Pulpally in Wayanad district with the technical support from M S Swaminathan Research Foundation. The Ginger products ready to market are 1 Ginger tea cuts, 2. Ginger candy, 3. Ginger paste, 4. Ginger-garlic paste, 5. Ginger tamarind mix, 6. Ginger mixed muesli, 7. Dried ginger powder and 8. Dried ginger slice. Additionally, the unit is also attempting production of different value-added products from locally available banana, mango, papaya and jackfruit as a coping mechanism during the offseason of the ginger crop. The gross income from the sale of these products in the last year was Rs. 1.62L.
Ginger being a potential crop is largely cultivated and traded mostly in raw form in the district and many other parts of the state. One of the drawbacks identified in processing raw ginger was the difficulty in washing and peeling off its uneven rhizomes. So MSSRF had come forward to establish a small-scale unit with an improved peeling machine, a slicer and few value-added products. The project support came from the SEED Division of DST, Govt of India.
Even though viable technologies are available for value addition of ginger, there are hardly any ginger processing units existed in the district, except few small-scale units making basic products like ginger mixed sweets. And there was a high demand for ginger-based products in the local as well as regional markets of Malabar (North Kerala). At this juncture, MSSRF had explored the scope for disseminating proven technologies of value addition of ginger for establishing a women SHG led production unit.
The available technology of ginger peeling device was adopted for the value addition unit with slight modification. The machine consisted of a cylindrical vessel with rubber bushes provided within to rub off the skin from the uneven rhizomes. The inner portion of the peeling machine was provided with one more layer of stainless-steel sheet with perforations that could further enhance the process of peeling the skin from the ginger rhizome. Thus, the machine takes only 15 minutes to get thoroughly washed and peeled ginger using electrical power, processing up to 5 kg of ginger at a time.
According to the women who are engaged in ginger processing, the modified ginger peeling machine and slicer has enhanced the efficiency and quality of work; by saving their time by 50% and have considerably reduced the drudgery of the members when compared to doing the peeling and washing work by hand.
