Vitamin-rich orange-fleshed and anthocyanin-rich purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are the in-thing in alleviating micronutrient malnutrition and addressing many health issues, according to ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI). Business giants like Pepsico participated in a Business Meet, a first of its kind, organised by CTCRI, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha being the state which produces about 40% sweet potato in India. Realizing the importance of biofortified sweet potato in tribal food system, CTCRI has distributed over 40 lakh vine cuttings and six tonnes of biofortified tubers to tribal areas in Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Kerala, and Jharkhand since 2020, said P. Sethuraman Sivakumar, principal scientist and leader of the event.
To develop forward linkages in biofortified sweet potato value chains in tribal areas to enhance their marketability, the Institute has organized an “Industry Meet – cum- Workshop on Emerging Technologies and Business Prospects of Biofortified Sweet Potato in India” at its Regional Station in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Over 120 stakeholders gathered to discuss opportunities and issues at various biofortified sweet potato value chain dimensions, including processable varieties, development of formal seed systems, using Good Agricultural Practices for cultivation, value-added products, and market linkages. Bilok Sharma, Manager (R&D), PepsiCo expressed great interest in sweet potato chips and a feasibility study will be initiated soon. Sanjog Sahu,M/S Mati Farms, a start up in vacuum-fried chips, officials from APICOL, NGOs, startups, SOA University, KIIT University and farmers participated. A technology pavilion showcasing diverse technologies of biofortified sweet potato was also arranged. This industry meeting is a part of ICAR-CTCRI’s efforts to place tuber crops in urban food plates to enhance their marketability in these value chains, said G. Byju, director, CTCRI. Dr. S.D. Shikhamany, former vice chancellor, Dr.YSRHU, Andhra Pradesh and chairman, CTCRI’s quinquennial review team (QRT), members, QRT also attended the event.
Read more: https://www.ctcri.org/events.html#tcd
Original link: https://www.ctcri.org/
