Biofortified tuber crops and value-added products developed from them are being popularised at Attappady, Palakkad, through a ‘rainbow diet campaign’ for tackling malnutrition among the tribal population.
The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram, is organising the campaign in collaboration with the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) under Kerala Agricultural University at Pattambi.
Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), rich in beta-carotene, and purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP), rich in anthocyanin, have been supplied to farmers for cultivation as part of the initiative, CTCRI scientists said.
A ‘rainbow diet’ involves the inclusion of fresh and natural foods with different colours in one’s daily diet. The colours of fruits and vegetables are caused by specific phytonutrients. A ‘tuber crops rainbow diet’ is a specific meal plan focussing on antioxidant-rich sweet potato and yam varieties.
The CTCRI had introduced purple-fleshed yam to farmers at Attappady last year.
Under a Nutriseed Village scheme, which is part of the campaign, the CTCRI is popularising community-level production of good-quality planting materials of biofortified varieties. As many as 24 tribal farmers from Vayaloor and Chittoor villages are engaged in the production of CTCRI sweet potato varieties Bhu Sona, Bhu Ja, Bhu Kanti and Bhu Krishna, said G. Byju, director, CTCRI. ‘School Connect’ is another programme wherein biofortified sweet potato varieties are being introduced in the nutrition gardens of schools and colleges.
Last year, the CTCRI organised four awareness programmes for farmers and schoolchildren. Two more are planned at Agali on June 16 this year, said P.S. Sivakumar, principal scientist (CTCRI), who is leading the campaign.
A satellite incubation centre of the Agri-Business Incubator of the CTCRI will also be established at RARS, Pattambi. The facility will serve as a ‘‘specialised grassroot-level centre for promoting tribal entrepreneurship’‘ through farmer-producer organisations and MSMEs.
