Basudevpur: Broom stick trade has been gradually flourishing in Basudevpur area in Bhadrak. Apart from agriculture, broom stick collection from the leaves of coconut trees provides good earnings for many people in this coastal pocket, a report said.
Being a coastal pocket, Basudevpur has plenty of coconut trees. Coconut production is also high in the area. However, the Super Cyclone dealt a severe blow to the coconut sector in 1999 when almost all trees were flattened in the area. To add to the problem, some diseases also affected the coconut fruition and growth of leaves. As a result, the coconut production and boom stick collection was drastically affected for some years, locals said.
Gradually things changed over the last 12 years. More and more coconut trees were planted alongside the existing ones. Both coconuts and leaves production has increased.
Earlier, people used the leaves and coconut teguments as fuel in rural areas. Some people stopped using the sticks of coconut leaves as fuel and used it as raw material for brooms.
Reports said, some people outside Basudevpur block stay in rented accommodation and collect broom sticks from house to house on a daily basis. They earn a lot from its trade.
Bharat Sahu from Chandbali and Anam Sahu of Ghanteswar village established themselves in this trade.
The two collect the broom sticks from people and stock them in their rented house before supplying the broom sticks outside the state.
Bharat said,”I came to the area about 10 years ago and stayed in a rented house. I had little capital to start any business. I first moved on a bicycle and collected broom sticks from villages. Earlier, I faced a little bit difficulty in collecting broom sticks from villagers. Gradually, people started selling them. Now, I have engaged four people in this work.”
Broom sticks are collected for Rs 20 a kg from people and sold for Rs 25 a kg to traders at Bhadrak. In case of more collection of broom sticks, traders transport them by trucks to Kolkata, Bihar, New Delhi, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, said Bharat.
He also said that broom stick collection has provided earnings for women in villages of Basudevpur. PNN