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A roots and tuber mela will be held in the city on February 6 and 7 to reinforce their importance as a natural source of nutrition.
The mela will be held at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry from 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is being organized by Sahaja Samruddha, an organization popularising indigenous paddy and conservation of agro-diversity in association with Rotary Club of Mysore (West). The focus will be to sensitize the urban community towards the benefits of tuber consumption and explore more value addition and include them into the cultivation.
Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samruddha said Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Soliga, Irula, Kunabi tribes are participating in the mela along with their tuber collection. Farmer groups from different parts of the State will showcase various kinds of tubers, food items and value added products that will also be up for sale.
Rare roots and tubers like air potato, purple yam, black turmeric, and arrow root seed material will be available for sale at the mela. A contest on cooking with roots and tubers will be organised for the public on the concluding day and the mela will be an introduction to the nutritional value of tubers and roots to the younger generation, said Mr. Krishnaprasad.
Citing experts, he said roots and tubers are rich in carbohydrates and provide almost one-third of energy from an equivalent weight of rice or wheat owing to their high moisture content. From the cultivators’ point of view they are beneficial because roots and tubers can adapt to diverse variety of soils and local environmental condition, he said.
The mela will be inaugurated Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and N.M. Shaji of Kedaram Tuber Conservation at Wayanad will be the chief guest. He will display 120 varieties of tubers including rare varieties recovered by tribals. For details, call 9986623073.
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