ICAR, KVK, West Garo Hills organised Stake holders interface meeting and EDP on developing tuber crops based technologies in collaboration with CTCRI, Kerela and NEHU, Tura Campus, Meghalaya.
A Stakeholder Meet and Entrepreneurship Development Programme on Tuber Crop Technologies was organized by KVK,West Garo Hills in collaboration with ICAR-CTCRI and NEHU at SMELC Building, Dakopgre , Tura on 1st December 2018.
During the programme, a Tuber Crop Exhibition cum ethnic food festival was inaugurated by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the Meghalaya Basin Development Agency (MBDA), Ram Singh where various food products developed by ICAR-CTCRI were also demonstrated to the participants. Improved tuber varieties like Sree Pavithra and sweet potato were distributed to the farmers.
Speaking as the Chief Guest during the programme, Ram Singh lauded the efforts of the ICAR-CTCRI in initiating a collaborative effort to create sustainable enterprise involving tuber crops. Singh also stressed on the need to convert locally produced tuber crops into viable value added food products to address the urban market needs.
The stakeholder meeting started with welcome speech by Mr.A.S Singh, Senior Scientist and Head(i/c),KVK,West Garo Hills.Special address and inaugural speech was delivered by Dr. Sivakumar, Principal Scientist.CTCTI and Prof G Singaiah, NEHU Pro Vice Chancellorrespectively in the presence of other officials from KVK,IBDLP,DHO and other allied departments. For the benefit of the farmers the special as well as inaugural speech was translated into local language by Dr.Joyoshree Mahanta, ACTO, KVK,West Garo Hills. The meeting ended with vote of thanks by Dr.Joyoshree.
During the meeting ICAR-CTCRI scientists presented various tuber crop technologies with high industrial potential which were later deliberated at the stakeholders’ meeting. It may be mentioned that Tuber Crops like taro, cassava, sweet potato and yam play a crucial role in securing food and nutritional security of the Garo Tribe, and serve as a secondary staple especially during the lean seasons. The ICAR-CTCRI has developed several value added food products like noodles, pasta, savoury snacks, nutribars, cookies and chips from tuber crops, which can help the people to utilize the locally grown tubers to earn additional income through value addition.
The program was attended by around 100 farmers from various parts of West Garo Hills.
