A six-member delegation from Sudan visited Kerala Agricultural University to explore the possibility of introducing cassava (tapioca) as a food crop in their country.

The delegation of policymakers in the Sudanese government and officials from the University of Khartoum held discussions with KAU Vice-Chancellor R Chandra Babu and scientists. They visited cassava cultivation plots to study the production and post-harvest processes.

Ahmed Mohamed Suliman, Vice-Chancellor, University of Khartoum, said that traditional Sudanese dishes include millet porridge and mashed fava beans as well as a special type of flat bread called Kissra, made from corn or sorghum flour. However, with changing lifestyle, Sudan is forced to import a lot of wheat, causing a heavy burden on the exchequer.

“This has prompted us to look for cheaper alternatives and has brought us to Kerala which has a history of successfully combating hunger by using cassava and fish as a balanced diet during the pre-Green Revolution era,” he said.

Chandra Babu assured the delegation of all possible support to master cassava cultivation and its value-addition aspects. ‘We have Sudanese students on our rolls. Proper understanding of Kerala will help them replicate cassava cultivation back home,” he said.

They also visited the Agri-business Incubator facility of KAU and held talks with its head, KP Sudheer and entrepreneur Ramesh Menon, Director, Brahma Indic Nutriments Pvt Ltd, Thrissur, to grasp the nuances of post-harvest processing of cassava.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW