Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 06 August 2025
In a significant step toward rural empowerment and sustainable livelihood creation, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS), A&N Administration, organized a one-day training programme on “Value Addition of Teressa Goat Milk” for Self-Help Group (SHG) members of Teressa Island.
Held on August 2, 2025, the programme aimed to equip women artisans with the skills to transform locally available goat milk into high-quality, market-ready soap products. The initiative was conducted in the presence of the Chairman and Secretary of the Tribal Council, Teressa, and was led by Dr. Sabita Wati, Dr. Baljit Kaur, and Dr. Mithun, Senior Veterinary Officers, along with support from AH&VS staff.
A total of 12 women from various SHGs were selected as master trainers and provided with hands-on training in goat milk soap-making. The session covered key aspects such as ingredient preparation, soap production techniques, and quality control—ensuring the trainees gained comprehensive knowledge for value-added production.
These master trainers will now take forward the mission by training other SHG members across Teressa Island, adopting a “train the trainer” model aimed at ensuring sustainability and wider community impact. The initiative not only promotes value addition to local animal husbandry resources but also fosters economic self-reliance among women.
The training reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to enhancing rural livelihoods through innovative animal husbandry practices. The enthusiastic participation of SHG members and tribal leaders highlighted the community’s readiness to embrace such income-generating opportunities.
The Department of AH&VS also plans to replicate similar training programmes on other islands, in alignment with the Andaman and Nicobar Administration’s broader vision of promoting sustainable rural development and economic empowerment.
