Bhubaneswar: Contrary to the situation in other sectors that are feeling the pinch of slowdown, the handicrafts and forest produce fair at this year’s Baliyatra – Pallishree Mela – witnessed record Rs 15.29-crore business this year.
The ‘Pallishree Mela’ is organised by Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (Ormas) which deals in forest products, ethnic handloom and rural crafts. Working under the state Panchayati Raj department, the society clocked a whopping Rs 15.29 crore this year as against Rs 12 crore last year.
The mela saw participation of 840 self help groups (SHGs) including a team from the Choudwar jail. Altogether 410 stalls were put up with products from across Odisha and 21 other states.
“The FMCG products saw huge sales such as organic spices from Kandhamal, Deogarh, Rayagada and Koraput. There was also a huge demand for non-timber forest produce like amla, terracotta, handloom products and dhokra handicrafts. The food stalls collectively did great business as well. The luxury goods didn’t register good sales though,” said Bipin Rout, Joint CEO of Ormas.
According to Rout, they were able to pull in crowds due to good management. Some of the other highlights included a selfie zone, vending machines and ATM kiosks which were put up for the convenience of people.
Rout attributed the record business amidst economic slowdown to the affordability and quality of the products at ‘Pallishree Mela’. “The unique selling point of the fair is it deals with decorative and everyday items at reasonable rates. And it is a once-a-year event. Products from other states like Nagaland are available at far cheaper prices. People can buy groceries in bulk for months. No other place will you find turmeric and chilli for Rs 120/kilogram,” said Rout.
One of the participants, Cuttack based Maa Dakhineswari Producer Group, saw giant leap in sales from Rs 6 lakh last year to over Rs 10 lakh this year. The group procures spices, cereals from places like Kandhamal and Phulbani, and processes them at Cuttack. “We ran out of stock and couldn’t cater to the heavy demand this time. We sold 13,000 quintal of turmeric alone. Better advertising and visibility in the fair contributed to the really good business this year,” said Livelihood Support Person of the group, Prakash Behera.