In News: Families in the coastal pockets of Odisha‘s Ganjam district have been eking out a living by preparing aromatic kewda oil for years, and a recent growth in demand has put a smile on their faces.
The price per litre of kewda oil was Rs 4.5 lakh last year
Every year, kewda farmers, flower sellers and oil makers earn around Rs 50-60 crore.
Ganjan kewda oil
Ganjam kewda (Pandanus fascicularis) oil is steam-distilled from the flower of the aromatic screwpine plant
Pandanus or screwpine plant grow along seacoasts and in marshy places and forests of tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
It is used as an aromatic in the food industry and other sectors.
It is registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 by the Government of India.
The flower is harvested from around 5,000 hectares in the district.
Its oil is produced in Ganjam, Chatrapur, Chikiti and Rangeilunda blocks of the district
For around 200,000 people living in 220 villages of the district, it is the main source of income.
The farmers and collectors receive an advance from Ganjam’s oil makers who buy the flowers from them during June to September — the harvesting season.
Kewda oil makers sell to Kannauj, Agra, Kanpur, New Delhi, Mumbai and other places at around Rs 5 lakh a litre
There is a Fragment and Flavour Development Center (FFDC) extension unit at Berhampore, Ganjam under the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Flower producer groups eliminated the role of middlemen and provided proper marketing facilities.
FFDC is also training oil makers and helping them purchase modern equipment to start distilling units through the government-managed District Industry Center
It is used in food, zarda (flavoured tobacco) and pharmaceutical companies
