A platform for SHGs to market their products

A 11-day exhibition-cum-sale of items made by Self-Help Groups from eight districts in the State began on the VOC Park grounds here on Monday.

More than 100 SHGs from Erode, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupur, Salem and Namakkal districts are participating in the exhibition. The groups have displayed an array of products including toys, processed food items, handicrafts, sweets, jewellery, bangles, paper bags, hand-stitched clothes, herbal remedies, food products, cosmetics, clothes and bed spreads in 105 stalls.

Inaugurating the exhibition, District Collector V.K. Shanmugam said the Tamil Nadu Corporation for the Development of Women had organised the exhibition to facilitate SHGs to market their products and generate marketing leads.

He appealed to people in the district to extend their support to SHG members as a majority of them were coming from the below poverty line families.

Mr. Shanmugam also called upon the SHG members to put in more efforts to market their products at the exhibition. The members should utilise the opportunities provided by the State government to popularise their products among people, which would help them enhance their sales.

District Rural Development Agency Project Director S. Vidhyasagar, Mahalir Thittam Project Officer P. Renuga Devi, Assistant General Manager of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development G. Santhanam and senior officials were present during the inauguration.

Entry to the exhibition that will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day till March 7 is free.