The diversity that lies beneath

tuber trail

We had gone for trekking the whole day in the forests of Kali River valley  when we decided to halt at Padshet, a village located in Joida taluk, Uttara Kannada district. There were only two houses in this remote village deep inside the forest, and all the residents welcomed us heartily, even though we had arrived in the middle of the night. The settings of the houses were simple. While we settled down in one house, a woman went outside and opened a stone slab behind the house. We were surprised to see bundles of tuber crops under it in mud holes.

Tubers, in fact, play an important role in the culture of the Kunbi people, settled in and around Kali River valley. Kunbis migrated and settled in the forests of Joida taluk in the 16th century, when the Portuguese invaded Goa. Even now Kunbi families spend about 90 days in Goa every year and take up income-generation activities. During the rest of the year, they engage in subsistence farming.

It is their tradition to offer boiled tubers with honey when guests come home. Normally, people start using the leaves of mudli (taro or kesu) after Ganesh Chaturthi. They take out the tubers during  Deepavali. While paddy is the major crop  grown here, tubers are grown in almost all the backyards. What makes the tuber crop unique is its versatility. It is a staple food and it can be used in a wide variety of dishes such as sambar, bhajis and kappa.

The cultivation of tuber crops starts just before the monsoons. Tubers are cut into small pieces with nodes, covered with ash and kept in a moist place. It is a two-by-two feet hole filled with paddy husk and cow dung. When the nodes sprout, they are planted in rows.

Many varieties
Around 20 varieties of tubers are grown in the region. Almost all Kunbi families grow big taro, locally called as mudli, which grows as tall as five feet. Other major tubers that are grown here include greater yams and lesser yams, locally called as kona. A few families also grow tannia (also known as arrowleaf elephant ear) and Chinese potatoes (sambrali). Tubers are, mainly seen as a woman’s crop, and women do both the cultivation and sale.

With an aim to showcase the diversity of the region and acknowledge indigenous knowledge, tuber melas have been organised in Joida taluk for the last three years. This year’s theme was ‘Tuber crops for food security and food safety’. The first tuber mela was organised with an objective to create awareness about the health benefits and market value of the crop. Before that, tubers were mainly used for household consumption. Once people came to know about the nutritional value of this crop, the price of tubers increased considerably. For instance, for mudli, the price rose from Rs 20 to 150.

As a follow up, a team of scientists from the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala under the leadership of Dr Ramanathan, visited Joida to study tuber crops. They have also introduced a few more tuber crops on a trial basis. During his first visit to Joida, Dr Ramanthan said that the mudli taro may be a unique variety. “There are some unique features in this variety that make Joida taro a unique one,” said Dr Archana Mukharjee, who was a part of the testing team. Later, scientists from CTCRI collected the samples for testing. Hence, they also applied for geographical indicator (GI) status for the taro variety.

A team of scientists, headed by Dr Archana, visited Joida and collected all information necessary to declare it as a GI crop. They have already submitted the proposal to the government.

To take the legacy forward, farmers have formed a Tuber Growers Association. They are also exploring various cultivation and value addition possibilities.
Branching outAccording to Jayanad Derekar, who is the secretary of Joida Tuber Growers Association, tuber has become a ‘brand ambassador’ of Joida. The three melas held showed the diversity of tuber crops grown in the region. To acknowledge and appreciate the farmers’ efforts, a competition is also organised to identify the person with the most varieties in the tuber melas. In the first year, a male farmer who had brought 18 varieties won the prize. This year, the prize was awarded to a woman farmer who brought 43 varieties of tuber crops.

In addition, training was organised for the chefs of homestays around Joida in preparing tuber-based dishes. In fact, many of the homestays in the area have a poster that says ‘Your visit to the Kali valley will not be complete without tasting tuber crops. Ask for tuber crop dishes here’. As a result, the tubers have become  a major tourist attraction for many visitors. “Tourists, in fact, specifically insist on having tuber-based dishes after seeing this poster,” says Narasimha Chapakhanda, who owns a homestay near Joida.

With the change in focus, the tubers have diversified and the tuber-growing area has also increased in the farmers’ backyards. Tulsi, a tuber grower, explains, “Initially, I used to grow tubers only for household use. However, since last year, I have increased the tuber growing area from a few rows to half an acre.” Last year, she sold almost all of the crop before February. She feels that if grown and sold professionally, all the harvest can become a more profitable crop. Due to consistent efforts, diversity of tubers grown in the region is also increasing.

Traditionally, Kunbis preserve tubers in underground holes. It naturally provides suitable temperature and moisture, improving its keeping quality. To ensure that it stays for a longer time, a solar-based preservation unit has been designed. Usually, tubers are preserved until the end of April. If it is kept for long, the moisture level increases and tubers start sprouting.

With so much on offer, it is of little wonder that tuber crops are fast gaining popularity.