The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram, has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Odisha government for developing a customised rainbow diet for combating malnutrition in children at Keonjhar, a district with a sizeable tribal population.
The MoA on behalf of Odisha Governor and ICAR-CTCRI was signed respectively by S.N. Panigrahi, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Keonjhar district, and CTCRI director G. Byju at Keonjhar on Monday.
The four-year, ₹6.83-crore project is aimed at implementing a value-chain improvement strategy. This includes a baseline malnutrition assessment, production of nutritionally enriched tubers, millets, and other locally preferred food crops, and development of nutriseed systems.