Foragers to managers: Baran's Sahariya women exchange firewood for financial freedom

Kota: Inside dense forests of Rajasthan's Baran, a quiet revolution under "Mission Samarthya-Saksham Sakhi" is replacing economic vulnerability with financial sovereignty for over 1,000 Sahariya tribal women.

Sahariya women are transitioning from low-wage forest foraging to managing automated packaging units, supplying local produce to a guaranteed institutional market set to achieve an annual target worth over Rs 8 crore.

At 6.00 am in Khushhalpura village in Shahabad forest, smoke from traditional chulhas now mixes with the steady rhythm of a packaging machine running at Ramkanya Sahariya's home.


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Two years ago, Ramkanya earned mere Rs 200 a day collecting mahua and firewood. Today, she sorts Chironji seeds and packs turmeric, earning Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 monthly, credited directly to her bank account. Ramkanya credits the district collector's initiative for transforming her livelihood.

The initiative was conceptualised soon after IAS Balmukund Asawa joined as Baran district collector around 6 months ago and visited tribal villages in the Shahabad area of the district.

He calculated that local government demand for food supplies, its facilities like mid-day meal, Maa-Badi centres, Sahariya hostels, SC-ST hostels, Annapurna Rasoi centres, the district jail, and police messes, serve around 24 lakh thalis every month.

Explaining the initiative, Asawa said that when he visited Shahabad, Van Dhan Kendras were already sanctioned and after speaking with the women, he realised their low income in the absence of steady business. They lacked confidence and were working informally without planned sales.

Having seen similar success during his tenure in Rajsamand, he believed steady and increased income sorts out several problems for rural women and boosts their confidence. That's when he decided to first assess institutional demand to create a structured market.

This massive monthly volume generated guaranteed demand for 36 quintals (3,600 kg)of spices each month, calculated at 15 grams per thali. Inter-departmental synergy followed: the Tribal Department supplied machinery, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) provided technical expertise, and Rajeevika organised local women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Chaitanya Sharma, Coordinator of Rajeevika, detailed the ground operations: "About 80 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) are currently operating, linked with local SHGs. These units process and package local produce like spices, coriander, chilli, and turmeric, as well as pickles and amla candy."

While around 300 women are registered under each centre, totalling nearly 15,000 women linked across the network, active production involves dedicated batches of 30 to 35 women per unit, he added.

Highlighting the economic leap, Sharma added, "Earlier, the focus was mostly on raw trading, resulting in lower revenue. By introducing value addition, such as setting up a dedicated Chironji decorticating machine at Khushhalpura, raw produce is processed, packaged, and branded locally."

While past turnover stood at around Rs 68 lakh through raw sales, shifting to institutional packaging has already yielded Rs 45 lakh in advance orders over the last two months alone, with projections targeting Rs 3 crore for the current financial year, he added.

Initial setup involved verifying 33 Van Dhan Kendras, installing packaging machines across 18 centres, setting up chironji processing at Khushhalpura and honey processing at KVK Anta, and launching the 'Gram Shri Mart' at district headquarters.

Institutional tie-ups secured an initial volume of Rs 40 lakh, with long-term projections establishing a permanent local market worth Rs 71.88 lakh per month (Rs 8.63 crore annually).

Notably, Chironji is Baran's One District One Product and is produced in large quantities.

The roadmap targets scaling sales from Rs 10 lakh to nearly Rs 2 crore in FY 2026- 27, backed by Rs 1 crore for new machinery, up to Rs 50 crore in concessional credit, Rs 10 crore distributed among 217 SHGs, and Rs 8 crore supporting 957 "Lakhpati Didis", ultimately transforming forest produce into lasting self-reliance for Sahariya women.