KARWAR :Tuber cultivation has turned out to be great success for farmers of Joida taluk of Uttara Kannada district. Moreover, there is a huge demand from Joida. Tuber is a traditional crop in Manlad region of the district. A number of tuber varities are grown in Joida. Farmers of the taluk, especially those belonging to Kunabi community, have been cultivating tubers from hundreds of years for consumption. But for the past few years, farmers here are cultivating them in huge quantities due to increased demand.
According to locals, they do not cultivate tuber in large farm land due to menace of wild boars, which destroy their crop. Therefore, they cultivate in their kitchen gardens, protected by fencing.Ravi Kunabi, a farmer, said the tuber cultivation process starts in their nursery after Holi and gadi. They cultivate then in May and harvest the crop after six months.
A ‘Tuber Mela’ has been organised in Joida for the last 3-4 years, and people from various parts of the district visit. More than 30-40 varities of tubers are exhibited each year. Jayanand Derekar, secretary of Joida Tuber Growers’ Association, said, “Farmers are getting `1 lakh to 2 lakh profit per acre, which is more profit than other crops. The Association has been educating owners of homestays and resorts about the benefits of tubers.
What are tubers?
A tuber is the underground stem of certain seed plants. Nowadays, people consume tuber as it is rich in nutrients and available easily. Tubers can be classified into two categories — stem tubers and root tubers. Stem tuber grow at the tip of an underground branch, and root tubers can sprout from any part of the root.