Raipur, October 11, 2026.

Dantewada district has achieved a significant milestone in promoting women’s empowerment, organic produce, and rural livelihoods by securing National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) certification for forest produce. Maa Danteshwari Mahila Kisan Utpadak Company Limited, formed under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (BIHAN), has become the first Farmer Producer Company in Chhattisgarh to receive this certification for forest produce. The recognition opens new pathways to take natural forest produce from Bastar to national and international markets.

Deputy Chief Minister and Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Vijay Sharma expressed happiness over the achievement and congratulated all women associated with Maa Danteshwari Mahila Kisan Utpadak Company and the BIHAN mission team. He stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the state government is advancing a development model for Bastar based on local resources, local talent, and local participation. This model prioritizes women’s empowerment, rural livelihoods, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Deputy Chief Minister Sharma noted that Bastar possesses rich natural wealth, and local women have been engaged in gathering and conserving forest produce for generations. Securing NPOP certification provides formal recognition to their hard work and traditional knowledge. Certified organic forest produce from Dantewada can now reach major domestic and global markets, ensuring better prices for forest produce gatherers and boosting the forest produce-based economy.

The certification highlights the collective entrepreneurship and hard work of Bastar’s women, creating new employment opportunities at the local level through processing, value addition, packaging, branding, marketing, and export-related activities. This expansion will enable local youth to find employment within their region, strengthening the rural economy.

The administration aims to connect agricultural and forest produce from villages traditionally free from chemical fertilizers and synthetic inputs with organic certification standards. The initiative seeks to preserve Bastar’s natural production systems while ensuring sustainable livelihoods and fair prices for local communities. The “Dandak Brand” serves as a collective identity for Bastar’s hardworking women, rich biodiversity, and locally produced goods.

Company Scale and Financial Growth

Established in 2023 under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (BIHAN), Maa Danteshwari Mahila Kisan Utpadak Company Limited works to organize rural women and improve their livelihoods.

Currently, 1,080 female shareholders are directly associated with the company, along with 2,100 forest produce gatherers linked through 60 producer groups across the district. These women participate in forest produce collection and marketing through organized market systems and value-addition initiatives.

The company has recorded a turnover exceeding ₹1 crore over the past two years, with sales of approximately ₹54 lakh last year and forest produce purchases worth more than ₹50 lakh in the current year. With NPOP certification, the company expects improved market valuation and better returns for its products.

The enterprise is expanding beyond primary buying and selling into processing, branding, and packaging, creating greater opportunities for income generation and local employment.

Introduction of the Dandak Brand

Maa Danteshwari Mahila Kisan Utpadak Company has launched the “Dandak Brand” to establish a distinct identity for its products. A special sales center has also been inaugurated in Dantewada, bringing locally produced agricultural goods and forest produce together under one roof.

Products marketed under the Dandak Brand include neem flowers, HMT rice, red churi rice, basmati rice, amchur, tamarind, mahua, kodo, kutki, and ragi. These products undergo value addition and attractive packaging to improve their market appeal.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and other agencies will assist in exploring export opportunities for certified organic products, potentially connecting Bastar’s local produce with wider domestic and international markets.

Voices from the Ground

Vimala Thakur, president of Maa Danteshwari Mahila Kisan Utpadak Company and a resident of Nelewada village in Kuwakonda block, expressed happiness over the achievement.

She explained that previously, collected forest produce was sold mainly in local markets at relatively low prices. The introduction of the Dandak Brand and NPOP certification under the BIHAN mission has energized company members, who now anticipate fair prices, access to national and international markets, and improved household incomes.

Under the leadership of Dantewada Collector Devesh Kumar Dhruv, the district administration continues to support economic empowerment initiatives for 1,080 shareholders and 2,100 forest produce gatherers. These efforts aim to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship, local employment, and rural livelihoods across the Bastar division.