The ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru organized an off-campus capacity building program on “Kitchen Gardening and Improved Vegetable Cultivation for Tribal Women” at Karumandurai Hills of Salem District on October 16, 2025 under Ainthinai Project. It was aimed at promoting vegetable cultivation in tribal areas to achieve food and nutritional security. The training programme was inaugurated by Mrs. Suganthi Parimala, District Project Officer, Department of Tribal Welfare, Salem District Government of Tamil Nadu. She had highlighted the importance of Ainthinai Project in livelihood improvement of Tribal Women in Tamil Nadu state and usefulness of various farmer-friendly technologies of ICAR-IIHR to enhance productivity and double the farm income. Further she elaborated the need for vegetable cultivation in Karumandurai Hills including marketing strategies to get higher income per unit. Dr. V. Sankar, Principal Scientist, trained participants to establish kitchen gardens for their homes to get good quality vegetables to attain nutrition and food security and created awareness about improved vegetables hybrids and technologies of ICAR-IIHR suitable for Salem district. As part of the programme, al participated women farmers received ICAR-IIHR inputs under the Ainthinai scheme, including Arka vegetable kitchen garden seed kits, bio pesticides like neem and pungam soap, bio fertilizer @ Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC) and Vegetable special micro nutrients. This program was attended by more than 51 tribal women farmers of Karumandurai Hills along with officials from ICAR-IIHR and Department of Tribal Welfare.
