AgriManipur - E-paolive.net

AgriManipur Volume 1, Issue 1Meeting with a Star: Subhra HanjabamSubhra Hanjabam, a multifaceted personality, takes food processing to her heart.Master in nutrition, Subhra started her journey with a single pan and no budget at all.Her formidable courage makes her today a household name of indigenous foodproducts. Her enterprise, Meira Food, is also a symbol of women empowerment. Theindustry is exclusively run and managed by women only. Please find out more abouther and her mission.Subhra Hanjabam“My social & moralresponsibility towardssociety gave mestrength to mymaterialize my dream”1. AgriManipur: When and howwas the enterprise established?Subhra Hanjabam (SH): MeiraFoods was established in the year2004 under the aegis of Actionfor Community TransformationManipur (ACT-M). Under theSponsorship of MSME, Takyelpatconducted a training on Foodand vegetable preservation training.After completion of thecourse most of them expressedtheir inability to state a unit.When I invited them to workwith me out of 30 participants, 5of them turn up. That was howwe started products, trying outnew thing and variety to the market.2. AgriManipur: What attractsyou to take fruit and vegetableprocessing as your profession?SH: After my completion of MasterDegree in Food & Nutritionin the year 1990 from BanasthaliVidyapith, Rajasthan, I triedmany govt. jobs. But fortunatelyor unfortunately that was theperiod when govt. banned mostof the Govt. recruitment. Afterappearing many of the writtenexaminations and interviewresults never come out. I servedin Private college (WangkhemMani Girls College), participatedin water analysis project work,joined All India Radio as CasualAnnouncer, and joined NGOactively. None of the above jobssatisfied me except working inNGO (I work 13 years withNGOs). That‘s when I learnedworking with people and socialactivities. I was interested ineconomic improvement ofwomen, solving of the crucialproblem of society like unemploymentand industrialist processfor improving state economy.My educational background andavailability of fruits and vegetableshelp to select processing offruits and vegetables as my ultimateprofession.3. AgriManipur: What drivesyou to run this business forlong time when many ofother industry perish?SH: My social & moral responsibilitytowards society gave mestrength to my materialize mydream. My girls (who are workingwith me) untiring support andsharing faith in me make me toface all the difficulties. One esteemedcustomer guided us toproduced more variety of productsof their taste. My family andfriends supported us in all thepossible way. I am thankful all ofthem.4. AgriManipur: Would yougive a brief picture of balancesheet of your business?SH: We started on business withzero investment. Whatever Ihave in kitchen we utilised it.Whatever we received after thesale of our product was firstinvestment. We reinvest whateverwe earn and expanded ourbusiness.5. AgriManipur: As a foodprocessor and businessmanwhat kind of difficulties werefaced/ are facing? Technical,financial and emotional?SH: As we have endless opportunity,difficulty also follows.But belief in the saying―Where there is a will there isa way‖. Being a life member ofAssociation of Food Scientist& Technologist, India(AFSTI), Manipur Chapter,members of Association extendall possible help whenever any Technical difficulty isthere. My girls, friends andfamily are there to support mewhen ever I feel helpless. I amnot happy with financial instituteswhich makes so difficultto receive any financial help.Friends and family always supportedwhenever I‘m in need.6. AgriManipur: What kind ofsupports are needed for thewelfare of small scale entrepreneurs?SH: For the welfare of small Scaleentrepreneurs, financial institutesshould come forward to supportus those who are genuinely workingand has future in it. Governmentshould provide more oftechnical service to these industries.Basic needs like electricityand water should be provideduninterrupted. Some incentivePage 12