The Kerala Farmer who amazes us by making money from Arrowroot Tubers and its Value Addition

The Village of Kulappally Mambattapadi in Kerala is now known as the Valluvanadan headquarters of Arrow root. Valluvanad refers to a region in present-day central Kerala and was, at various periods, an independent kingdom (officially the Kingdom of Vellattiri ), a district within the kingdom of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram, and a Taluk of the Malabar district within the Madras presidency(Wikipedia). Arrowroot is a starchy root vegetable similar to yam, cassava, sweet potato, and taro.  A young farmer named Aduvakad Ajit has played a major role in directing the attention towards the Tuber Arrowroot.  Aji, a farmer in Kulappalli, Shornur in Kerala cultivates Arrowroot in 10 acres and is specialized in all aspects of this tuber cultivation. 

 Aji cultivated 2,000 kg of Arrowroot seed in the ten-acre area. It was sown in April. By June, the plants began to grow. Now the tubers are in the stage of growth. The harvest of these tubers is generally in the month of Tiruvathira around January. The yield would be half a kilo to 3 kg. Aji sells these tubers   and arrowroot powder. The only opponent is the pig's trouble. The harvest is in the month of January. Aji's hope of cultivating large crop after Lockdown did not materialize. People from outside come to buy them in bulk. They take it and sell it as powder. Aji says that those who want to do arrowroot cultivation are welcome to see his  farm in Kulappally, Shornur in Kerala.  

Advantages of Arrowroot Powder 

The benefits are ideal for all age group. Kua helps in digestion.  It helps in eliminating nausea and getting nutrients lost due to vomiting and diarrhea. It helps to maintain the acid-alkali balance in the body. It is an Easy-to-digest powder and is very good for babies compared to other starches. 100 g of  powder contains 84% of the daily requirement.  There's no fat in the powder and the calories are low. This will help you lose weight. It is a repository of potassium. It helps in controlling heart rate and blood pressure. It is good for heart and helps improve blood circulation and a solution to many skin problems. It is used in talcum powders and moisturizers and softens the skin. 

Every Tiruvathira kalam (Thiruvathira or Thiruvathirai or Arudhra Darisanam is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Thiruvathirai (Arudhra) in Tamil means "sacred big wave", using which this universe was created by Lord Shiva about 132 trillion years ago) reminds us of the cuisines made from Arrow root. 

Nutrients 

Arrow root  powder contains  Only 65 calories per 100 powder.It  contains Amylopectin (80%), Amylase (20%) and  contains Vitamin A, B vitamins like thaamine, riboflavin and niacin, Vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, folate and also  minerals like calcium, manganese and potassium. Copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc are also found in small amounts. It is also rich in protein, starch and food fibres.