Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 10
From meat to fruits, processed Naga food products have become popular of late and with it mushrooming of several brands like Myki.
Based in Kohima, Myki has managed to spread its popularity not only in the State, but also outside like Shillong and Guwahati. Their dried wild apple, gooseberry, and soyabean chutney are especially famous among young hostellers in Shillong.
Myki was a ‘Transformative Livelihood Intervention (TLI) Project’, initiated and facilitated by the Women Resource Development Department, Government of Nagaland, in 2010. It aimed at capacity building of women to empower them in both their economic and social status. It was later privatized in 2014, but the department continues to partially aid it.
The driving force behind this ever growing brand are two enthusiastic and passionate women Neivinuo and Asanei-i Nagi, who continued the TLI project and are now the sole owners of the enterprise.
The two had no entrepreneurial background and exposure in the beginning and credited the success of the project to the former Director, officials and staffs of Women Resource Development.
Despite financial constraints and failures at times, the two entrepreneurs have worked hard and overtime to bring the enterprise to a position where it now makes a net margin of around Rs 1.5 lakh per annum. “Time is one thing you had to forfeit to acquire a better outcome,” stated Neivinuo of the sacrifices they had to make.
The project, which started with dried processed gooseberry and wild apple as the main items, has now expanded to products like popped rice, kholar, dried bamboo shoot, English gall, Roselle, dried king chilli, dried pineapple etc. It does not have meat products yet. All the raw products are sourced from different corners of Nagaland.
The concept of the project was to make use of indigenous Naga food items which are found in abundance during peak season, but are not used resourcefully and wasted. They procure these items at subsidised rates from various SHGs and individuals, which are then processed, producing quality and hygienic products and made available throughout the year. This concept continues even after privatization of the project.
The products of Myki – which can be translated as women or girls in Nagamese and ‘my house’ when the word is broken up into ‘my’ and ‘ki’ – are also exhibited and sold during Hornbill Festival and in various food expos.
“We constantly strive to maintain quality product with the aim to vend our products not only in Nagaland but also outside our State,” said Neivinuo.
Though the enterprise has been unable to enlarge their production at present due to financial constraints, less profit margin, lack of large storage facility, and lack of marketing outlet, the two owners hope to expand the brand in the near future. “Ten years down the line, we hope to expand our enterprise to a large extent. Also employ women and let people know more about our works and accomplishment. This will not only be a pride to us but also for the Nagas as a whole.”
Reporting by Akhrienuo Kire who is currently an intern at The Morung Express
