Agartala, Sept 7: In a move aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods and women-led entrepreneurship in rural Tripura, the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) is set to operationalise a Banana Fibre Unit in Gomati district soon.

The initiative will provide a new avenue for income generation for rural women by enabling members of self-help groups (SHGs) to convert locally available banana biomass into value-added fibre products.

The unit will be operated by women SHG members of the Mother Teresa Cluster Level Federation, giving them an opportunity to develop an enterprise based on an agricultural resource that is widely available in the region.

According to TRLM, the project has been taken up with a total cost of Rs 25,88,859 and is expected to strengthen livelihood opportunities for participating SHG members.

The initiative is also aimed at encouraging the sustainable utilisation of agricultural resources while promoting value addition and rural enterprise development.

By placing women SHG members at the centre of the enterprise, the Banana Fibre Unit is expected to contribute to greater economic participation among rural women and create a sustainable model of livelihood generation through locally available resources, officials said.