Table Of ContentA. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ladakh is among most difficult terrain and hard to access places in the world. Due to these reasons the
economy and industrial development in Ladakh is overlooked. In this region there are places which are
underdeveloped, and there is scope of industrial set-up at these places but the potential of such places is
unexplored. Working in such conditions is a challenge for human being, that’s why big industrial players are not
showing much interest in this place. This results in slow development of that area, unemployment, poor
economy etc. So there is a need for the industrial development at this place with the help of government
support to young entrepreneurs and local people.
The proposed project area is coming under Leh District of J&k State situated in the northen hemisphere,
adjacent to Pakistan mainly inhabited by the primitive tribes covering more than 95% percent of the total
population. The physiographic nature of the area witnesses a favorable topography and climatic conditions
where the Tribal farmers are growing vegetables and other high value horticulture Crops like Apricot, Apple,
cherry, tomatoes etc., apart from wheat, barley, buck wheat and other cereal crops for their livelihood.
In spite of this access to rich natural resources, the tribes of this area are facing the inimical troubles of socio-
economic distortions and physically distanced from the main markets without any proper linkage. The
result emerges that after profound labour cannot fetch ever sustainable economic gain thus remain
trapped within under-development.
Studying the grim situation and dire consequences faced by the tribes in the proposed project area,
Karmabhoomi intervened in the area to create an appropriate base for the socio-economic development of
the marginalized and weaker sections of the community mainly focusing the priority on the specific science
and technology inputs by means of establishing the entrepreneurship development units transferring the
technology to the people and to provide the base of livelihood support, promoting and upgrading the skills for
the appropriate utilization of the resources in a sustainable manner.
This report is for the creation of such platform which would utilize the skills and resources available there
optimally, which can produce product at competitive price and can provide employment opportunities to the
local people at their place.
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1. Project Title
“Low Cost preservation and processing of the locally available horticulture produces (apricot) by the tribal
women SHGs of Nubra Valley”.
2. Objective
1. Establishing a Phase-1(hereinafter referred as “AP1”) satellite processing unit of 400 ton per
annum raw apricot processing.
2. Utilizing apricot and resources available in Turtuk and neighboring villages, optimally, to produce a
vertically integrated product range of apricot with better quality and competitive price.
3. Providing skills and employment to people by giving them an industrial platform.
4. Enhancing recognition of these products in national and international markets and hence
maintaining and improving the cultural heritage of India.
2.1. Sub objectives
1. Promoting and improve the socio-economic life-style of the Tribal (ST) women generating the
gainful employment opportunities utilising the technology, promoting research and sustainable
development.
2. Upgrading the traditional skills for the appropriate utilization of locally available horticulture
produces.
3. Providing the means and ends to the women in access and control over the horticulture
resources through value addition initiatives for sustainable income source.
4. Designing, improving and preserving the quality of products being grown by tribal women
through scientific processing and technology transfer for value addition.
5. Enhancing the involvement of the tribal women in low cost preservation, processing and
packaging of the finished horticulture produces linking them to the market.
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3. Work Plan:
The work plan of the project will basically be based on the value addition, economic generation and self-
employment opportunities. Initially, the collection of the raw materials will be entrust with the SHGs, the
growers and gatherers for collection. Then after the collection of the materials shall be sorted at the
collecting units which will further be linked up with the processing unit located at the District HQ near
Diskit. In the central processing unit, the technologies and equipments of evaporation technology,
dehydration technology, quality control, oiling etc., will be established. For juicing, pulping and grinding -
simple and appropriate machinery; for packaging purpose - the crown corking machine, PP and RO cap
sealing machine, embossing machine; for quality control - testing equipment etc., will be used. For
evaporation and dehydration technology - steam and solar heat, mini-boiler and kettle, solar drier and solar
cooker will be focused upon.
In the satellite units, the hand operated equipments, solar drier, Green Houses, hand pounding apparatus
etc. will be maintained. The technology will be made available by hands-on training to SHG members as a
part of technology transfer. The training to the master trainers, technology transfer and consultancy will be
imparted by karmabhoomi with the help of horticulture department Leh, as and when required. The training
to the selected master trainers and leading members of the SHGs (four from each SHG) will be held at
karmabhoomi field station, Turtuk for 30 days and the second training for product development will be
organized at the Central processing unit for another 30 days.
Type of Industry : Food Processing
Type of sector : Manufacturing/Production
Region of set-up : Ladakh/ Nubra (Turtuk Village)
Type of enterprise : Public Private Partnership
51 % Owned by Karmabhoomi
49% Owned by Local communities.
(Satellite unit, AP1, location, Turtuk, Nubra valley, Leh Ladakh)
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4 Project duration :
Project “Julley” has been divided into three phase, this proposal is only for the phase 1 of the project.
A. Phase 1: Duration 36 months, Projected cost: `26,029,000 (from April 2011 onwards)
Objectives:
1. Training and educating people for better production of apricot and about various processing
techniques.
2. Forming small cooperatives units for apricot drying, oiling and other useful articles by building glass
houses, drying units and other techniques for apricot drying in the various locations to exhaust all the
production.
3. Preparing the uncultivated land Present in the village for plantation of apricots using various
techniques for increasing the fertility.
4. Planting the apricots on the unused fertile land.
5. Marketing the product in various local markets of north India like Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Ludhiana,
Patila, Jalandhar, Panipat, Sonipat
Highlights:
a.) To utilize as much of the apricots as possible to make value added processed products.
b.) Establishing drying machines which help apricots to dry in a controlled and hygienic way would help
the product in being presentable, which in turn would ease the process of finding a suitable market.
c.) Organizing supply chain to expand the market for premium returns.
d.) Converting the non-agricultural unused land into agricultural to increase the production of apricot and
vegetables.
e.) Contacting agricultural universities and other relates colleges for internship and other useful
interactions.
B. Phase 2: Duration 72 months (From April 2012 onwards)
Objectives:
1. Building Irrigation facility like canal, drip irrigation or tube well, to start in the newly included
agricultural facility, to irrigate the unused land area of 150 hectare (MOU has been signed for the land
use).
2. Establishing an integrated food processing unit for apricot processing by which following Articles will be
produced: Dry Apricot, Apricot candy, Apricot oil, Apricot cream, Apricot scrub, Apricot jam, Apricot
juice.
3. Marketing the same in different part of India and abroad.
a.) Plantation of apricot and other useful vegetables on the new arable land.
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b.) Teaching grafting techniques for maintenance of the plant, replacement of dead saplings. Horticulture
department
c.) Besides involved at the working level, more villagers will be involved at management level to handle
the project.
C. Phase 3
Objectives:
a.) Allotting a fund percentage for the establishment of proposed university in Nubra.
b.) Establishing and RFID system for the better governance of the Project julley.
c.) Most of the project to be handed over to the villagers. Monitoring and assistance will be provided by
Karmabhoomi. Encouraging the villagers to periodically upgrade for other innovations.
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5 Project area:
The project area is coming under Nubra blocks of Leh District state of J&K, namely tribal villages named
Bokdang, Chulunkha,Giradi, Turtuk, Tyakshi and Thang. Except Bokdang all these villages were in Skardu
district now in Pakistan.
Turtuk:
Out of the most fertile regions of Ladakh is the Nubra valley. Having a warmer climate and lower altitude, the
region is rich in vegetables like tomato, cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, onions and produce abundant apricots
and walnut.
Turtuk being secluded due to vicinity from LOC, has not been able to have enough exposure to use the
abundant production in their good. Vegetables are consumed by the large households which comprise of 6 and
sometimes even 20 members. Apricots are dried on the roof tops and due to uncontrolled procedure of drying
they majorly do not yield a presentable product. Too much sun or a rare rainfall can spoil a complete batch of
apricots which are left in open to dry. As an estimate, nearly 70% of the total production gets spoilt and the
one which is eventually dried is also not a very superior quality.
Turtuk has been opened for tourists in the year 2010, but due to the flash floods, it did not see many tourists
that year. Year 2011 saw an estimated 3000 tourists coming to see the part of nubra which was inaccessible for
very long. Tourism is a very important potential stream from where the income can flow for the villagers, given
the incredible landscape that this village is blessed with. But, with a population of nearly 2500(both new and
old village), a small number of 3000 tourists is huge considering the infrastructure and resources available. Now
the tourists will also consume a good share of what would only suffice for the villagers. Therefore, there is an
urgent need to have enough of everything and that too in a sustainable format.
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To have enough vegetables and crops, it is necessary to have more of agricultural land. Good quality seeds,
manure, irrigation and training are also important for a better yield. For the village to remain a tourist hot-spot
and at the same time to be independent of the food crops and vegetable demands, it is important to think
futuristic and to train the villagers to react in a systematic way to the newly opened tourism.
(Turtuk have the potential to become the Apricot Hub of India, Photo by Aditya Singh)
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Under
Village Population 18 Students Illiterate Unemployed
Turtuk 1921 602 878 540 402
Bokdang 2474 1261 578 724 88
Tyakshi 1022 497 353 155 6
Total 5417 2360 1809 1419 496
commulative data of villages
6000
5000
4000
3000
Total
2000
1000
0
Population Under 18 Students Illiterate unemployed
Population distribution of villages
6000
5000
4000
Turtuk
3000
Bokdang
2000
Tyakshi
1000 Total
0
*Data source: LAHDC Leh, TISS reports and preliminary research of karmabhoomi)
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5.1 Observations*:
In the last few years the population of girls has increased by a significant number.
The number of school dropout had increased tremendously and will keep on increasing due to the poor
educational system and infrastructure.
The increase in the school dropout students will create an unemployed high spending youth who can
be easily derived by money.
The total number of youth population which will be needing employment is increasing every year.
The people who have employment will lose their employment in the near future due to change in the
economy and various other reasons like dependency on Indian Army, BRO and NREGs for employment.
In a short future the population will need a sustainable source of income for their survival as the village
has become an open economy.
If no steps will be taken in the near future the economy can be attacked by the outside agencies, which
can bring harm to the national security.
There is hardly any employment for females; the only employment for the women is agriculture which
is not generating any cash flow in the hands of women.
Condition of female in the society is miserable.
On an average there are 6 children in each family.
The society needs a strong educational system.
*Observation has been take by karmabhoomi and FPC Pvt. Ltd.
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6. Budget Summary:
A. Project “Julley” Phase-1
B. The project is designed for the holistic socio-economic benefit of 2000 women SHGs promoted in
the proposed project blocks by the organization. The budget is divided into 2 stages first is
Capital (Non-Recurring) and second is Recurring, Contingency and Trainings.
The Non-Recurring expense is meant to be incurred over three years for the establishment of the food
processing unit completely designed as per the norms of the government.
Karmabhoomi - the project implementing agency agreed to bear 20 percent of the total budget of
Phase-1 through Feasibility study, land property, infrastructure, contribution, office management, man
power and equipment, Branding and Marketing with the statutory sureties. The details of the budget for 1
year are mentioned in para 11 below.
6.1 Name of personal investor and organization:
Name of the Personal Investor : Mr.Atul Kumar, (President,Karmabhoomi)
Name of the Personal Investor: Mr. Namit Madan
(Executive, Karmabhoomi)
6. 2 Identifications:
1. Project title:
Low Cost preservation and processing of the locally available horticulture produces, especially Apricot by
the tribal women SHGs of Nubra Valley.
2. Details regarding:
(a) Profile of Project area
The proposed project area is coming under the geographic scale up of Leh District located at the
northern hemisphere of the State of J&K– Consisting most backward and border villages ranked as
No. 1 by the Planning and Coordination Deptt., Govt. of India, for its socio- economic
backwardness and stagnation from all corners.
The District is mostly dominated by tribal community covering around 95% percent of total population and
encircled with the great Karakorum ranges belongs to great Himalayas with a bountiful natural
resources, damping climate with ecological balance and also the agro-climatic zones purports to be suit for
the ample production of horticulture crops with better irrigation potential and topography.
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Description:Utilizing apricot and resources available in Turtuk and neighboring villages, optimally, to produce a vertically integrated .. Senior consultant PWC.
