- Employment and Regular Income Gained from Animal Feed Plant
Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan) scheme, women from the ‘Jai Bharat Mahila Self-Help Group’ in Akaltari village (Bilha block, Bilaspur district) are setting a new example of self-employment and self-reliance. On the occasion of Rakhi, the success of these ‘Lakhpati Didis’ (women earning an annual income of over one lakh rupees) narrates a story of growing self-confidence and economic empowerment among women in the state.
- Group Members Producing High-Quality Animal and Poultry Feed
The establishment of the animal feed plant is creating new opportunities for self-employment and large-scale jobs in both rural and urban areas. Moving beyond their traditional livelihood activities, the women of the group have started operating the ‘Bilasa Animal Feed Plant’ in the village. The group members themselves are producing high-quality animal and poultry feed at the facility. Operations require both technical and non-technical staff for tasks such as plant management, machinery operation, packaging, loading-unloading, and quality control.
- Key Features and Achievements of the Plant
A manufacturing business can be launched at a low cost by setting up a small or medium-scale animal feed plant. To maintain product quality, the women of the Jai Bharat Self-Help Group have installed modern machinery, including feed grinders and mixers, as well as feed pellet and crumble machines. The group members manage the entire process—plant operations, feed production, packaging, and marketing—ensuring full participation by women. The local availability of animal and poultry feed results in significant savings on time and transportation costs for rural livestock and poultry farmers. This initiative not only provides a regular income to the women but also strengthens the village’s overall economy. In line with the priorities of the Vishnudev Sai government, the Bihan scheme is economically empowering women by linking them to self-employment. This successful initiative in Akaltari village is also serving as a source of inspiration for other women’s groups.
