Dairy

The VGKK dairy now has six cows, three young cows (kadasu) and three calves (in which 2 male), a total of 12 are available.

Horticulture

• In this year’s daily school campus, the kitchen room surrounding cleaning was done and also plants were trimmed every month from which they make compost manure. Regularly leafy vegetables were produced and supplied to the kitchen.
• During this year a total 180 plants from 22 varieties were planted.

VTC was envisaged to develop income-generating skills and create self-reliant communities within the forests. VTC was started in 1997 with the help of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Bengaluru to help tribal youth to gain self-employment.

In order to ensure livelihood security, VGKK imparts training in over 16 different crafts to the tribal youth and this training is instrumental in inculcating a sense of pride and discipline in their abilities. A unique product of a Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) is rolled out from this centre and marketed.  Furniture made of Lantana, a weed and not wood, promotes biodiversity conservation. Even though the concept of vocational training is new to the community, a healthy positive attitude towards this has gained ground among the youth. The training has steadily enhanced the independence of the community members by helping them to become earning members of the family. The tribal people are taught to semi-process the NTFP in their own courtyards in a hygienic way before selling it to Large Scale Adivasi Multipurpose Producers Co-operative society (LAMPS). Efforts were made to transfer the findings of recent research to the tribal people in this direction to help improve their economic conditions.

Key Objectives:

• • Provide opportunities to the tribal youth, to learn crafts of their choice.
  • Enable tribal youth to acquire skills in crafts and management.
  • Link them to banks and other financial institutions.

Currently 5 staffs are working in this division and the following sections are functioning at present:

• Food Processing Unit:

  This unit processes Amla, Mango, Magaliberu, Sogadeberu, Lemon, and Orange etc. Pickles, Juices, amla nuts and Morabbas are prepared.

• Honey Processing Unit:

  The honey section occupies prime place in the food processing centre of VGKK. It has got the latest processing equipment including a moisture remover. In this unit honey is purchased from LAMPS and processed. After processing honey, it will be filled in 250 gm, 500gm and 1000gm bottles for selling. The processed honey has an AGMARK certificate and has a good market. The honey is sold in Bangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad and other places.
  

• Soap nut powder and Turmeric Powder Unit:

  Tribal women are gainfully employed in this unit. Soap nuts and Turmeric are collected from the forest. And then it will be packed for selling purpose. It is then powdered in our pulverizing units and packed and branded to sell outside.

• Powder making unit:

  In this unit makes chilli, millet and wheat powder and packs it for sale.

• Candle making:

  in this unit, the paraben wax will be purchased from outside and prepared candles.