Titlagarh Tamarind Processing Balangir Odisha Agriculture

Titlagarh and Balangir districts in western Odisha are among the largest tamarind (Imli) producing regions in India, with vast tracts of wild tamarind trees (Tamarindus indica) in the dry deciduous forests. Tribal and OBC women cooperative members collect tamarind pods from community forest patches from December to March, depod them, grade by acidity and moisture content, and process into tamarind blocks, paste, and concentrate. Titlagarh is the largest tamarind trading market in Odisha. Cooperative processing units add value by producing seedless tamarind concentrate sold to food processing companies in Hyderabad and Mumbai at significant income premium over raw tamarind. ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society) facilitates cooperative tamarind marketing.