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| Preethi, Anitha, Swapna, Sunanda Bai, Sindhu, Sheeba, Mannuthy.P.O, Thrissur |
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What if making chocolates is traditionally the domain of multinationals. With hardly a few vessels and a grinder as capital, Preethi, a housewife from Mannuthy and 5 of her friends started a chocolate making unit 2 years back.
While both the big companies and the small units manufacture confectionary from coco seeds, the big players spend 90% of the cost in advertising. Thus their prices are 8-9 times higher than the actual manufacturing cost. It is here that the products by women’s collective become attractive. And in the bargain, they are able to generate an average monthly income of Rs.2000 per head.
The unit manufactures chocolate milk, while chocolate, coco bites, wonder wrapper and drinking chocolate. The sales counter of Kerala Agriculture University at Mannuthy and the exhibitions stalls of the University are the selling points of the unit. The knowhow for the effort as well as the space for putting up the unit were provided by the University.
The team purchases the raw material, dried coco seeds at the rate of Rs.95 per kilo. At times, they purchase raw seeds and process it, thereby further reducing the manufacturing cost. Their unit is capable of processing 5.5 kg of raw seeds daily.
The team members
Courtesy: Karshakan, January 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
