Ippapuvvu laddus, a delicacy made from the iron-rich Ippa (Mahua) flower, part of the traditional tribal diet, is now available all year-round, thanks to the Bheem Bhai Tribal Women’s Cooperative Society, Utnoor, Adilabad district. The society is planning to expand its production and sell it across Telangana State.
According to the official sources, the society is also looking for franchises to sell its product. It has already set up dedicated sales outlets at Indira Mahila Shakti Bazar, Shilparamam, Hyderabad, and Balapur, where tribal women themselves manage sales. Weekly, about 15 kg are sold at Shilparamam and 25 kg at Balapur. The cooperative also sets up a stall at the ITDA campus every Monday during ‘Praja Darbar’ — grievance redressal programme.
Speaking to The Hindu, project manager of NGO — Centre for Collective Development (CCD) — Kumra Vittal Rao, who is behind the idea of making Ippapuvvu Laddus and helping the Bheem Bhai Tribal Women’s Cooperative Society, said that the society is planning to increase its production and is also looking for a franchise model to sell the products.
The Mahua flower can be stored for two years if it is stored at room temperature at 80% moisture content, he said elaborating on how they ensure the availability of the seasonal flower, which is collected from the forests by the tribals. “We can prepare the laddus throughout the year by storing the Mahua flowers, whose shelf life is about 2 years,” he said.
