Kerala chief minister claims it will provide food and livelihood security of tribals
The Indian Council for Agricultutal Research (ICAR) will be working on a comprehensive tuber crop development programme for Attappady. The programme, which might be launched soon, is aimed at the food and nutritional security of the tribes in Attappady, said Kerala Chief Minister OOmmen Chandy.
The chief minister said this on July 9 in Thiruvananthapuram during his inaugural speech on the opening of the International Conference on Tropical Roots and Tubers organised by the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) and the Indian Society for Root Crops.
“The high mortality among infants and pregnant women in Attappady is a matter of serious concern,” said the chief minister. The Kerala government has requested ICAR to formulate a plan for developing tuber crops for addressing food and nutritional security of the tribals in Attappady, and the programme will be launched soon through CTCRI, said the chief minister.
According to the chief minister, tubers offer ample scope for sustainable food production and livelihood means to tribals as well as other communities. He pointed out that the food security of Kerala itself was in danger due to climate change, unseasonal rains, rise in temperature, depleting ground water and scarcity of agriculture labourers.
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