Brahmagiri Development Society (BDS) came into existence in 1999 with an objective of playing an active role in assisting the farming community in Wayanad attain self-sufficiency.
The very purpose of the initiative is to form the launch pad for the agrarian dreams to effectively tackle fluctuation in market prices for their products; thus instilling self-confidence in them to make substantial progress rather than battling for survival. The project also aims at empowering the farmers to tap modern technologies and mechanisms to improve their financial condition.
Ever since its commencement, the BDS has been conducting various training programes in the dairy farming sector. The activities included scientific fodder production, construction of cattle shed and bio-gas plants, distribution of azolla plants and implementation of Watershed Development programmes with the assistance of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Western Ghats Development Programme (WGDP).
The latest product from the Brahmagiri Development Society’s stable is the ‘Malabar Meat’.
A revolutionary initiative by the BDS, ‘Malabar Meat’ is an innovative community-based farmer-oriented project. High quality beef, mutton, rabbit, and poultry products are processed and packaged at the BDS’s multi-species meat processing plant located at Manjadi near Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district. The hygienic as well as nutritious meat is being marketed through agencies spread across the northern Malabar region under the brand name ‘Malabar Meat’.
The state-of-the-art plant, spread over 13 acres of land, processes stock procured through various self-help groups registered with the BDS. The 40-crore cattle breeding programme undertaken by the Kudumbashree Mission with the assistance of NABARD in Wayanad and Kannur also provide livestock to the plant, arguably the largest multi-species abattoir in Asia.
The Brahmagiri Development Society is poised to expand its horizon of farmer-friendly activities with support from all quarters.