Products Made from CG’s Rich Forest Resources and Women’s Hard Work Should Become the State’s Identity: CM Shri Sai

Chief Minister Launches Diwali Gift Packs of ‘Chhattisgarh Herbals’

Initiative to Expand Market Access for Local Products and Increase Incomes of Women’s Self-Help Groups and Minor Forest Produce Collectors

Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai today launched the Diwali gift packs of ‘Chhattisgarh Herbals’ at his residence in Civil Lines, Raipur. Local and herbal products manufactured by women’s self-help groups associated with Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been packaged into attractive gift hampers. The initiative is expected to expand market access for Chhattisgarh’s quality local products while strengthening the livelihoods of minor forest produce collectors and women’s self-help groups.

Appreciating the initiative, Chief Minister Shri Sai said that Chhattisgarh’s rich forest resources are an important source of livelihood for millions of forest-dwelling families. The state government is committed to ensuring that forest produce undergoes maximum value addition within Chhattisgarh, so that the economic benefits reach forest produce collectors and the women’s groups associated with them directly.

Chief Minister Shri Sai said that through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, women are processing locally available forest produce and creating quality products. By providing better packaging, branding and market linkages, the government is helping their hard work gain wider recognition and creating better income opportunities for them. The Diwali gift packs of ‘Chhattisgarh Herbals’ are a meaningful step in this direction.

Appealing to the people of the state to give preference to local products, Shri Sai said that when people purchase and gift products made in Chhattisgarh, the benefits directly reach families in forest regions and women’s self-help groups. Choosing local products is also a way of strengthening the state’s traditions, local entrepreneurship and rural economy.

The ‘Chhattisgarh Herbals’ Diwali gift packs have been introduced in two categories: Premium and Regular. The Premium pack contains nine selected products, while the Regular pack includes five products. People can purchase these gift packs from ‘Sanjeevani’ retail outlets operated by the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Cooperative Federation. The initiative offers an opportunity to connect the tradition of gifting during Diwali with Chhattisgarh’s local products, women’s entrepreneurship and tribal livelihoods.

A Blend of Forest Wealth and Chhattisgarh’s Traditional Flavours

The Diwali gift packs feature a variety of products reflecting the state’s forest wealth and local culinary traditions. These include jamun juice, jamun spread, amla candy, tamarind candy, cookies made from kodo millet and mahua, chyawanprash, wild forest honey, spiced and salted cashews from Bastar, green tea from Jashpur and aloe vera gel.

The products bring together Chhattisgarh’s natural resources, traditional food culture and the entrepreneurial skills of women’s groups. Improved packaging and marketing of products made from local forest produce are also helping establish the ‘Chhattisgarh Herbals’ brand more prominently in the market.

Products Manufactured at Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

The products included in the gift packs are manufactured at various Van Dhan Vikas Kendras and processing units across the state. These include the centres at Kaurinbhata in Rajnandgaon, Bodla in Kawardha, Panchakki in Jashpur, Aasna in Jagdalpur, Dugli in Dhamtari and Donganala in Katghora, as well as the Central Processing Unit at Jamgaon (M) in Durg district.

These Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have an annual turnover of approximately ₹60 lakh to ₹70 lakh. Processing and value addition of forest produce at these centres are generating local employment and income opportunities. Women’s self-help groups, in particular, are becoming economically self-reliant through their involvement in production, processing, packaging and other related activities.

The processing, manufacturing and marketing of Van Dhan products directly benefit forest produce collectors and women’s self-help groups. Increased demand and sales through the Diwali gift packs are expected to strengthen the economy of forest regions and provide further impetus to the economic empowerment of women’s groups.