Sudanese Delegation Visits Kerala Agricultural University to Learn Cassava Cultivation

A six-member delegation from Sudan recently visited Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) to find out the possibility of introducing cassava or tapioca as a food crop in their country.

The delegation of policymakers in the Sudanese government & officers from the University of Khartoum held talks with the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University, R Chandra Babu & scientists. They also visited cassava cultivation fields to examine and study the production & post-harvest processes.

Vice-Chancellor, University of Khartoum, Ahmed Mohamed Suliman said that traditional Sudanese dishes consist of millet porridge, mashed fava beans and a special type of flat bread known as Kissra that is made from corn / sorghum flour. But, with changing standard of living, Sudan is forced to bring in a lot of wheat - causing a heavy burden on the exchequer.

He said, “This has encouraged us to search for cheaper alternatives and has brought us to the southern Indian state of Kerala which has a history of successfully fighting hunger by using cassava as well as fish as a balanced diet in the pre-Green Revolution period”.

Chandra Babu gave assurance to the delegation that they will get all possible support to master cassava farming and its value-addition aspects. He said, “We have students from Sudan on our rolls. Proper understanding of Kerala will assist them replicate cassava cultivation back home”.

The delegation also visited the KAU’s Agri-business Incubator facility and held discussions with its head, KP Sudheer & entrepreneur Ramesh Menon, Chief, Brahma Indic Nutriments Pvt Ltd, Thrissur, to get hold of the nuances of post-harvest processing of cassava.