12 October 2006

Advancing Community Forestry for Sustainable Enterprises: a lighter, cheaper allo thread machine

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ANSAB has been implementing a project Advancing Community Forestry for Sustainable Enterprises in Nepal. The overall goal of the project is to promote advancement in community forestry for sustainable enterprises, improve livelihoods and community development. The project will help transform the forest user groups into enterprising entities to effectively manage their forests and generate economic benefits from the forest resources. The specific targets of the project include 15 community based forest enterprises developed; 5,000 hectares forests brought under enterprise oriented management; sales of CFUGs increased by 25%; and incomes of 1,000 households from forest products increased by 20%. The project is investing its resources on strengthening the capacity of community organizations, establishing backward and forward linkages for the CBFEs, and encouraging enabling policy environment for free and fair business practices. CFUG networks, forest based enterprises, and facilitating organizations are being developed and/or strengthened to expedite enterprise development, effective forest management, and community development activities. The project is giving special attention to the sustainable development issues including social equity and justice. It is also expected to improve the incomes and employment for the poor, women and other deprived section of Nepalese society. One of the selected products for the sustainable enterprise development is allo (Girardinia diversifolia) in Bajhang and Dolakha. Market for the allo products was conducted in 2004 and 2005 and good demand was collected. While dealing with Kathmandu based allo enterprenuers, the quality of allo thread was one of the major problems. This problem created the change in demand on product type. Previously the Kathmandu buyers demanded allo thread while now-a-days, the party started buying unprocessed bark from nearby Kathmandu and processed the bark in own facilities. This dynamics compelled to search the technology for better thread production. There are various types of machines introduced through Micro Enterprise Development Program (MEDEP) and Cottage and Small Industry Development Board to produce similar nuts threads and productivity. Their experiences revealed low productivity and not cost effective. A successful entrepreneur was observed which has more than 15 machines which produce 2500 meter thread cost NRs. 450.00 per day. A research was design to further improve the so that these machines will fit in the rural settings in low cost. From the preliminary development, the machine was designed as per the demand of the rural setting. The cost of the machine is low i. e. 8500.00 and it can be operated with recharchable battery with small solar panel. The weight was reduced significantly from 40 kg to 13 kg. We hope that this machine will reduce the cost of the production as well as improve the consistency in the allo thread production. Download Related attachements