Tuber and Greens Fair in Mangaluru Showcases Rare and Giant Crops

Mangaluru : The Organic Farmers’ Consumer Forum organised a two-day Tuber and Greens Fair at Sangha Niketan in Mangaluru on Saturday and Sunday. The event saw the participation of Guinness and Limca record-holding tuber farmers, who exhibited their giant tuber collections.

A special highlight of the fair was the exhibition of rare tubers, including the Moodli variety grown by the Kudubi tribal farmers of Joida and an extensive collection of yams from a Kerala farmers’ group.

Renowned as the Tuber Man of India, Kerala’s Shaji N.M., a recipient of the Government of India’s Biodiversity Conservation Award in 2021, participated in the fair with his collection of nearly 300 varieties of tubers, grains, and seeds.

Guinness and Limca record-holder Riji Joseph, who has cultivated around 100 varieties of tubers, also took part in the exhibition. Known for growing the world's largest elephant foot yam, he holds a Guinness record and has also set a Limca record for cultivating a giant turmeric rhizome. His exhibits, including the massive Suvarna Gedde, climbing yams, and tree yams, drew significant attention.

A special participant was Nilima of Nasik brought nine types of millets all the way from Maharashtra despite having troubles with travel.

The fair featured over 370 varieties of tubers and more than 100 species of greens. Farmers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala showcased different varieties of turmeric, ginger, arrowroot, medicinal tubers, elephant foot yam, Purple Yam, tree yam, sweet white yam, climbing potato, black turmeric, black ginger, wild yams, thorny yams, and other indigenous root crops.

Additionally, a range of organic saplings, herbs such as sabige, coriander, one-leaf creeper, and harive, along with traditional vegetable seeds like basale, brinjal, millets, and honey, were among the attractions.

A training session on leafy vegetable farming was also held, and an informational handbook on tuber and green cultivation was released during the event. The fair also witnessed brisk sales of tuber-based delicacies and organic food products.

Expressing satisfaction over the enthusiastic public response, Organic Farmers’ Consumer Forum President S.A. Prabhakar Sharma and Secretary K. Ratnakar Kulai stated that the fair successfully promoted awareness about indigenous and organic farming.

Girish Aithal and Sharath Kumar, senior functionaries of the Savayava Krishika-Grahaka Balaga (Organic farmers and consumers forum), told Hans India that the two-day event got over 30,000 footfalls. “Our network of both farmers and consumers is growing all over the state, and more and more young adults and young parents are joining. We are holding awareness camps for both farmers and consumers on the lines of developing their organic gardens and growing vegetables, tubers, legumes, and green leafy vegetables in their backyards on their terraces; we also give them certificates of participation,” said Girish Aithal. “Our aim is to promote the consumption and cultivation of organic vegetables, fruits, spices, legumes, and tubers. We see families are driven by market-promoted food items that have commercialised our kitchen which is why we hold a streetside market every Sunday in Mangluru city” Sharat Kumar told.