Tribal produce in Idukki get an online launch pad

Idukki: Chilla, an initiative set up by the Marayur forest division seven years ago to market tribal produce, has now entered the digital platform. A mobile app and an online auction system for Chilla were developed in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to officials the app-based online trial version was started two weeks ago and it was a big success.
Marayur range officer M G Vinod Kumar said, “Product details are available on the app. In the trial version, the facilitator adds the amount of the produce which the auctioneer quotes. A big screen in front of the auction centre at Marayur displays it in the meantime. If another auctioneer quotes a higher price the facilitator will include it too. When the final amount quoted is displayed for three minutes on the screen, the deal is fixed.”
“If the price quoted is not remunerative, the farmer can withdraw his/her produce,” said the official. “Soon the Chilla market will be made fully online and anyone can participate in the auction. In future, we will start Chilla retail market so that people can buy forest produce online. We will deliver the product through KSRTC courier. The payment can also be done online,” said the official.
Officials said the online upgrade by Chilla was done with a cost of Rs 4 lakh. The online platform will be more helpful in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, said officials. Chilla, an exclusive tribal market under the Marayur forest division, opens on Thursdays to sell tribal produce. The initiative was started in 2014 and in seven years, Chillahas clocked a turnover of over Rs 3 crore. Tribespeople cultivate vegetables inside the forest by adopting organic methods. However, they find it difficult to sell the produce in the open market and face huge exploitation. Chilla helps tribal farmers get a proper market and fair price.