Tuber crops are important sources of starch after cereals, serving as staple or supplementary food. Adaptable to a wide range of tropical and subtropical soils, climates, and environments, they require minimal agronomic input. Cassava and sweet potato are the most important, with other tubers grown as vegetables. While sometimes considered "poor man's crops," their high starch content offers considerable potential for processing into high-end products for food, feed, and industrial uses. The perishability of tropical tuber crops, along with difficulties in transport, storage, and marketing, presents major challenges for farmers. In-situ processing or value addition near the farm is recommended to overcome these issues, promoting entrepreneurship and ensuring food security.
The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, a leader in tropical tuber crop R&D, has developed numerous value-addition technologies suitable for home, farm, and industrial use. The Techno-incubation centre realizes the importance of tuber crops in creating and promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing their value. It is financially supported by the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Kerala.
The TIC is dedicated to promoting value addition in tuber crops through these objectives:
- Conducting awareness and training programs for farmers, entrepreneurs, and agricultural/horticultural officers on tuber crop value addition.
- Providing hands-on training on preparing value-added products.
- Offering incubation facilities for entrepreneurs producing tuber-based products.
- Extending technical support to innovators for new product development.
- Acting as a production and processing hub for tuber-based products.
The Centre has three major processing units:
- Flour Production Unit (FPU)
- Snack food manufacturing Unit (SMU)
- Fried chips manufacturing unit (FCMU)
These units undertake activities such as:
- Edible-grade flour production from cassava tubers and processing into value-added snack foods, including fried and oil-free extruded snacks.
- Production of low-glycemic pasta for diabetic and obese individuals, as well as nutritionally enhanced pasta for children and youth.
- Manufacturing fried cassava chips and strips.
Entrepreneurs will gain insights into infrastructure requirements for setting up processing units. Training will be a major activity, benefiting many. This can translate into income generation for entrepreneurs and cassava farmers. The main objectives are establishing the Techno-Incubation centre with facilities for manufacturing value-added products, helping entrepreneurs utilize the facility and add value to the crop. Self-Help Groups can also use the facility for a nominal fee. Another objective is to disseminate value-addition technologies.
The TIC is well-equipped with modern infrastructure:
- Training Hall – A furnished facility with modern audio-visual aids and a short-distance projector, accommodating up to 30 participants.
Advanced Processing Machinery –
- Chipping Machines – Manual/mechanical models for producing chips, finger chips, cubes, and slices.
- Electrical Dryer – For efficient drying of tuber chips.
- Flour Mill (Hammer Type) – To convert dried tuber chips into flour.
- Dry Blender (Ribbon Type) – Ensuring uniform mixing of dry ingredients.
- Kneading Machine – Facilitates dough preparation for snack production.
- Pasta Making Machines – Tabletop and standalone models for nutritional and functional pasta production.
- Twin Screw Extruder – For producing ready-to-eat, oil-free extruded snacks.
- Sheet Making & Slice Forming Machine – Converts tuber flour dough into various shapes.
- Mixture Making Machine – Equipped with different molds for a variety of fried snack foods.
- Industrial Burner Range – Suitable for mixture production.
- Packaging Machines – Hand/pedal-operated, band-type, and automated sealing machines.
- Deep Fat Fryer (Basket Type) – For large-scale frying operations.
- Biogas Plant
