Port Blair, Nov 3: The ICAR- Central Island Agricultural Research Institute here organized Kisan Ghosti on tuber crops in collaboration with AICRP on tuber crops and KVK, Sipighat at Harminder Bay recently. Mr. Fred Levi, 1st Captain, Harminder Bay was chief guest on the occasion. He appreciated the initiatives of CIARI in organizing series of events in their village under TSP and motivated the tribal farmers to adopt latest technologies to enhance their income to get decent livelihood opportunities through farming system approaches.
Dr. V.Damodaran, Asst. Chief Technical Officer explained in details about the scientific cultivation and utilization of tuber crops as food, feed and fodder which was followed by interaction with the tribal farmers.
Mr L.B. Singh, SMS, KVK explained about the recycling of organic wastes and its effective utilization in farming systems for maintaining the soil productivity to achieve higher yield. The tribal farmers presented their views regarding the problems faced by them in tuber cultivation, traditional system of cultivation, utilization of tuber crops in different food products, their requirements about planting materials, inputs, cultivation techniques etc and accordingly given advise for taking up the farming activities in scientific way. Later the farmers were taken to the demonstration plots on tuber crops which were carried out by the tribal farmers adopted under the AICRP (TC) project. Altogether 42 tribal farmer’s including 22 female participants attended the Kisan Ghosti. The programme was organized under the guidance of Dr.S.Dam Roy, Director, CIARI.
