Farmers’ collective launch new brand

Kannadi Karshaka Kootayma launches three varieties of herb-infused virgin coconut oil under the brand name Kannadi.

When Kannadi Karshaka Kootayma, a farmers’ collective from Chirakkara, decided to launch their brand, they wanted their product to stand out in the value-added market. After much experimentation, the group has come out with three varieties of herb-infused virgin coconut oil that will be marketed under the brand name Kannadi.

The group includes around twenty members from the area and the farmers say they were guided by the officials from the Chirakkara Krishi Bhavan throughout the process. “Initially we tried banana stem squash and banana jam along with a variety of jackfruit products. But we wanted a product that was available round the year and finally opted for coconut. Later we attended a training programme conducted by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK),” says Ratheesh Chandran, secretary of the group.

Since several brands are producing virgin coconut oil, the group decided to modify their product to ensure the demand. “During the class at KVK, we were told about the medicinal value of virgin coconut oil. It has multiple health benefits and can be used by people suffering from skin and gastric issues. So we went for three different oils infused with brahmi, kudangal and kayyonni. While the first two can be ingested, kayyonni oil is beneficial for hair,” he adds. All the oils are prepared in the traditional style and brahmi-infused virgin coconut oil is priced ₹210 per 100 ml. The other two products, kudangal and kayyonni oils, will be sold for ₹199 and ₹180 respectively.

While the oils are their main products, Kannadi will also have a range of routine items. “We cannot waste by-products like coconut water and the leftover coconut after extracting milk. So they will be converted into separate products that include squash and vinegar. Fresh coconut will be added for making chammandi podi, theeyal mix and avalose podi. The idea is to use each and every part of the produce,” he adds. At present, marketing is mainly through stalls and in the future, the farmers also plan to focus on online sales. “Brahmi and kudangal oils have good demand in the market and we are getting a lot of orders. We will be coming out with more products in the future,” he says.