Chinese potato (Koorka) is an important source of livelihood of tribals of Marayoor forest, Idukki. Widening the food basket to improve their livelihood security is a mission of ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) and Kerala department of forests and wildlife envisaged in a project, ‘Tribal connect: Transformation of tribal food basket by strengthening tuber crop based agri-food systems in Marayoor forest, Idukki’.
A team of 40 tribal farmers from Oonjamparakkudi and adjoining villages in Marayoor accompanied by V.R. Sreekumar, Deputy Range Forest Officer, Marayoor was given training and exposure visit at CTCRI with a view to introduce nutritionally improved tubers into the of Marayoor landscape, said J. Sreekumar, principal scientist and project leader.
On the occasion, CTCRI commended Lekshmy (70) of Oonjamparakkudy tribal settlement who conserves more than 40 traditional yam varieties besides many other tubers and vegetables. CTCRI plans to strengthen the tribal food basket of important tribal settlements by improving agri-food systems with a view to alleviate nutritional deficiencies besides increasing yield and income and improving livelihood, G. Byju, director said. Salom Gnana Thanga, Professor, Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala inaugurated the training.
