CESCI Organics oil processing unit Visit Report- By Dr.Razak

Mr. Natarajan is the new Project Manager since last October (15^th of October 2009).  Mr. Natarajan, had improved the relationship with the hostile neighbouring population. He is a very talkative person and doesn’t hesitate to talk with the neighbours, to listen to them and explain the meaning of the project each time the possibility came.

He is fully involved in the oil processing unit, which is the only lasting activity of CESCI organic project (all the other activities had been stopped, to focus on the processing unit and start the production as soon as possible).

There are two buildings; Building 1 at the entrance; used as office and to host the team and any guest. Building 2, where the machines of the oil processing unit are installed is situated at a distance of 100 meter from the entrance. A telephone connection is available

Establishment of a connection with the electric network:

Mr. Natarajan has approached the Panchayat to register the building in order to have a door number. After paying the different taxes, the Panchayat accorded a door number and approved the future economic activity. That was in November 2009.

Once the door number was accorded, Mr. Natarajan approached the competent authority and sent a request for a connection to the electricity network. A triple line phase is needed for the oil processing unit. An initial deposit of Rs.13.500 was asked to study the request. An engineer of the District came and made an estimation for the triple phase line for the oil processing unit. The amount to be paid was Rs.42.000.

The Nagapatinam district had accorded a triple line phase and the real connection with the electric network has been established at the end of February 2010.

The inner wiring had been finished on March 20^th, 2010 and so the connection of the different machines to the electric power network.

Acquisition of the machines:

The 4 machines have been purchased in 3 different places.

• 1 Decorticator machine => from Dindigal district on December 2009,
• 2 Rotary machines Tricharaparalli district, on mid-December 2009,
• 1 Oil filter machine from Selam district, on February 2010.

The installation of the 4 machines was achieved on the end of February 2010.

Once the machines were installed, the connection to the electric network was established and the inner wiring installation finished and made a first trial test on the 31^st of March 2010. A bag of 40kg of groundnut was processed successfully. A second trial test on the 6 of April 2010 by Mr. Natarajan was also successful.

According to Mr. Natarajan, the marketing of the oil and other products (like groundnut cake) is not at all a problem, and the access to the market is easy. He added that there is a big demand in Chennai, which is  4 hours distant form Nagapattinam District.  
Oil Processing activity:

The project manager will make an announcement by speaker in the different villages surrounding (at a distance of 20km) for the 450 farmers cultivating groundnut; to announce that the processing unit activity will start soon.

There will not be a formal contract between the farmers and the processing unit. He had prepared a notice for the farmers and he will distribute it this week for the farmers. He will go himself to meet the farmers at the village level to introduce the activities of the processing unit and the different services for the farmers.

The capacity of the processing unit: 8 bags of groundnut /1 hour

6 bags of neem seeds/ 1 hour

Rhythm of activity: 8 to 10 hours/day

150 kg for the crushing

According to   M. Natarajan, the harvesting season will start soon, and he is planning to purchase 100 bags of groundnut (each bag has a capacity of 40kg) from the surrounding farmers.

The oil processing unit will also process neem seeds. The Decorticator machine will be use both for crushing groundnut and neem seeds, while one of the two rotary machines will be exclusively used for groundnut.

Need of investment:

For a better accommodation, there is a need to;

• Transform the two shower rooms in bathrooms with toilet.
• Construction of stairs in the processing unit building, so there will be a possibility to build a toilet under the stairs.
• A construction of bore well (the well and also plumbing needed).

By: Dr. Razak