Empowering women through production of Tulsi (holy basil) leaves & tea; and market linkage
Biography:
Kbd. Mosaref Hossain is an B. Sc. Ag (Hon’s), Master of Science (MS) in Agronomy and Post Graduate Diploma in Management Consulting (PgDMC) having ten years more experience in the areas of Project planning & Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Training and Development, Collaboration & participation with stakeholder, Research & development, enterprise development, linkage with private sector, Program implementation, resilience/vulnerability assessment, participatory research, women empowerment, reporting and management of multicultural environment with different program and project.
Kbd. Mosaref served with different project of OXFAM, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Centre for Progressive Development (CPD), IFDC (International Fertilizer Development Centre) and Umara Tutorial supported by different donor agency like as USAID, European Union, DFID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UK Aid.
Kbd. Mosaref received training on Project Cycle Management (PCM), Research Methodology and R-Tutorial for Data Management.
Background:
Tulsi or holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) is a medicinal plant revered by people of Indian subcontinent for its multiple beneficial uses since Vedic times. The essential oil of Tulsi has 71% eugenol, which is widely used in perfumery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and confectionery industries. Apart from this the Tulsi leaves possesses antiseptic, diaphoretic, antiperiodic, stimulating, expectorant, anti–‐pyretic and memory improving properties.
It is one among the few plants, which purifies the atmosphere. In India remarkable number of organizations is working on rural development through cultivation of Tulsi. Those organizations are extending technologies and services to the farmers and entrepreneurs for Tulsi.
Bangladesh has favourable climatic conditions for the growth of the valuable herb Tulsi. Despite having huge commercial potential and suitable environment, very few farmers/organizations are cultivating Tulsi on commercial basis in Bangladesh. Lately the EDP has undertaken an initiative to support and improve the process of leaves processing, drying storing and other post harvest management, which will be cost effective and profitable for the enterprise and producers.
Palli Badhu trading Limited, the enterprise has been doing business with Tulsi leaves and tea since 2013. The enterprise has collected leaves of Tulsi from rural area to develop enterprise and business of Tulsi tea
Objectives:
- To popularise the Tulsi leaves production at rural with information & input support involving 15 women farmer
- To develop market linkage between grower and enterprise
- To empower the rural women with ensuring prize and demand of Tulsi
- To introduce the women farmer with Tulsi leaves and tea business
- To create entrepreneurs at rural level
Requested Funding Amount: US$ 5000
Project Area: Union- Damsona, Thana- Ashulia, Upazila- Savar, District- Dhaka-1349.
Suitability:
The average temperature of Damsona union in Savar is 25.3°C with an average annual rainfall of about 2100mm. Such temperature and rainfall is suitable for the cultivation of Tulsi. The selection of Damsona union was done keeping in mind the socio demographically backward with lower status of women in the country which are priority areas for implementing the Empowering women through Tulsi leaves & tea production and Market linkage.
Methodology:
We first identified the target groups of Tulsi farmers at Damsona Union and interviewed them with the help of open end questionnaire. We provide input and also identified key persons involved in the production, moisture removing or dehydration and processing of Tulsi leaves thus Tulsi tea. These helped us to understand the current production, dehydration, sorting and processing practices of Tulsi followed by Tulsi growers associated with PBTL at Damsona union. Information will be provided for farmers and producers that would help the enterprise and farmers to produce Tulsi leaves/ tea in a profitable manner.
Service Package:
- Provide Training to the selected farmers on production technology
- Input support for land preparation, Seedling, planting, disease and pest management
- Build up linkage between farmers and local enterprise for ensuing high prise of leaves
- Support to create local entrepreneur for producing Tulsi tea
Expected Outcome indicators:
- of farmers involved in production
- of farmers engaged with training of production technology
- Total production of leaves in weighing
- Measurement of production cost and profit per farmer
- of farmers involved with Tulsi tea processing and marketing
Monitoring and Evaluation:
Under the supervision and guidance of Kbd. Mosaref Hossain, the Project will be executed at field by recruited field facilitator and will be responsible for day to day field monitoring and ensure linkage of various stakeholders for project execution and planning of activities.
Manpower Involved
One staff is proposed for Project activities entitled Field Facilitator who has completed Diploma in Agriculture.
Documents
- publish the blogpost, video and pictures on blog
- write a bi-monthly follow-up blogpost to be published on the GFAR blog
- write a short wrap-up blogpost after one year with describing the concrete outcomes and expenditure of project
- Documentation of case studies / success stories
Project Budgeting and Timeframe:
Remuneration of staff is US$ 1800 for one year; Training and input cost are US$ 2400; and leaves processing, market linkage, promotional activity and other cost are US$ 800.
Project will be started from April, 2016 and continued to March, 2017. Budget will be divided into four installments and every installment will be paid at first week of beginning installments month.
Blogpost and picture submitted by Mosaref Hossain (Bangladesh) – mos_pstu(at)yahoo.com
The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.
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blog.gfar.net 
It’s great opportunity for women empowering.
Thanks a lot @ Shamima Nasrin
It’s a great innovative idea for empowering women to create women entrepreneurship
I think Tulsi tea has medicinal value and demand in local market. So women will show interest to cultivate tulsi if they get any support
Mr. Shohel, Thanks a lot for your comment. At first we will try to support women farmers with information and input. Then helps to build up linkage with local entrepreneur for promoting women entrepreneurship with tulsi tea.
Rural farmers specially women don’t get high prize of their crops at local area lack of linkage of market. If you can create a linkage with market and farmers, they will gain high prize of their crops and show their interest to grow tulsi.
Hi saim, Thank you so much for your valuable point out. Yes I have shared in my proposal for linkage development with existing market and I think farmers are benefited with ensuring crops prize.
I think it has medical value and also the local market demand so women entrepreneurship can be create and also market linkage can be done .
Hi Asfaq, Thanks your comments. In my proposal, I have covered the women and small entrepreneurship and tried to link with market.
It has market demand and also can established as small entrepreneurship
Yes Ashfaq, It will encourage the women to earn extra income in her family.
Ya, Tulsi tea is promising business product and rurally is produced with limited area. It think that Tulsi production can increase with women empowering and develop local enterprise. if you provide timely information, then farmers get high production and interest.
Hi Mizan, Thanks a lot for your suggested point. At rural women are deprived lack of getting timely information. So I have kept opportunity in my proposal to provide timely information on crops production and market.
Great idea to women empowering
Thanks a lot @ Washiq Faisal
Women is pioneer of agriculture. It’s great idea to empower women with agricultural production. It’s seems that has a huge opportunity to engage rural women if you provide support with latest production technology.
Mr. Anwar, Thank you so much for your valuable comments. At my concept I have attached opportunity to share with womwn about latest technology and information.
As salamualaikum,
I would like to get in touch with you if possible for business purposes as I am working in a similar project.