Tubers for centuries have been a staple diet and a dependable source of nutritional security for forest-dependent communities. Interestingly, tubers are so diverse that they vary in size, shape and flavors.
As a part of our ongoing livelihoods rehabilitation efforts in Kerala, a tuber fest along with the inauguration of a new community seed bank at Ellumanam, Wayanad took place in January 2021.
This initiative envisages popularizing tubers among rural and urban farmers. Furthermore, besides being a place to conserve traditional seeds, this new initiative largely focuses on preserving the genetic diversity of local tubers.
Farmers from various parts of the region visited and partook in this festival. A wide variety of tubers were displayed at the event. This is the second tuber bank that has been set up in Wayanad, the first was inaugurated in July 2020 at a tribal settlement in Thavinhal Grama Panchayath.
