Roots and Tuber Mela at Mysuru, Karnataka on Feb 6 and 7

Around 113 million people in 53 countries worldwide faced severe food insecurity in 2018, finds a report released by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), an initiative of food security and development institutions, UN agencies and the EU.  

Enhancing agricultural productivity through Food Security Crops like Roots and Tubers could be a powerful tool to end hunger and poverty. Tubers play a significant role in food security, nutrition and climate change adaptation. This would also help in improving economic growth of the nation and also would enhance environmental sustainability. 

In the wake of such thoughts, getting prominence  Sahaja Samrudha in collaboration with Rotary Club of Mysore (West) is organising the Mysuru’s Tuber Mela to sensitise urban communities towards the benefits of tuber consumption and exploring more value addition  possibilities and thereby encouraging their cultivation. At present the association between forests and humans are on a declining trend and the present generation does not have an idea about the variety of Indigenous  crops and tubers. 

Many local communities and Tribes reside in the forest Regions of Kerala and Karnataka. They have a remarkable collection of various indigenous varieties that they gather or grow on the farms. Several of these crops have been termed as being under-exploited and thus deserve more extensive research input. In fact, they remain neglected and in this context a Tuber Mela is getting organized on the 6th and 7th February 2021 at Nanjaraja Bahadhur Chatra  Mysuru in between  10.30 am to 8 pm. 

The Tuber Mela will be inaugurated by Titular King of Mysuru” Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar”, Rtn. Raghavendra Prasad, President, Rotary Club of Mysore West, will preside, N.M. Shaji of Kedaram Tuber Conservation at Wayanad will be the Chief Guest.

The Agriculture World, Krishijagran, Editor, Dr Lakshmi Unnithan will also participate in the inaugural function at Mysuru as Chief Guest. 

Kedaram Tuber Conservation Centre will also be displaying Tubers along with 120 rare varieties recovered by the tribals from the deep forest. The Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Soliga, Irula, Kunbi tribes are participating in the tuber mela along with their rich cultivated and uncultivated biodiversity of tubers. More than 25 groups are bringing different kinds of tubers, food items and value added products for display and sale. 

Rare roots and tubers like air potato, purple yam, black turmeric, and arrow root seed material will be available for sale. ‘Cooking with Tubers’ , a cooking contest to learn to cook the most healthiest and delicious roots and tubers has also been organised on 7th Feb, Sunday to introduce its nutritional value to the younger generation who have lost touch with traditional foods and agriculture. Such Melas are definitely an eye opener in reviving the lost indigenous knowledge systems.