Business worth ₹100 crore was done this year through the Society for Assistance to Fisherwomen (SAF), which aims at social and financial empowerment of fisherwomen, Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan told the Assembly on Monday. The society has been running capacity building training programmes and skill training to improve the functioning of entrepreneurial ventures by fisherwomen. It has also been helping in branding and marketing of the products from these ventures. A total of 785 units have benefited from the society’s online marketing and sales system.
He said that the SAF provides working capital and revolving funds for such ventures. Amounts from ₹25,000 to 1 lakh are being provided to the groups based on their repayment capacity. For supermarkets, community provision stores and seafood restaurants, this goes up to ₹1.5 lakh. As part of solidarity funding for struggling businesses, aid is provided for replacement of old machines and upgrading of technology. Aid is also provided for shifting to more profitable businesses if the existing one is loss making.
Under the joint liability group project of the SAF, groups of five fisherwomen are formed and working capital as well as interest-free revolving fund provided to launch new ventures without depending on private lenders.