The ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru organized an off-campus training program on “Kitchen Gardening for Tribal Women” at Karamadai block of Coimbatore district on September, 10th,2025, aimed at promoting vegetable cultivation in tribal areas to achieve food and nutritional security.
This training programme was inaugurated by Mr. Siddharathan, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Govt of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore District. He had highlighted the farmer-friendly technologies of ICAR-IIHR, various Horticulture schemes promoted to farmers from Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Government of TN for create awareness and enhancing the productivity of various horticultural crops. Dr. V. Sankar, Principal Scientist, trained participants to establish kitchen gardens for their homes to get good quality vegetables to attain nutrition and food security and created awareness about improved vegetables and hybrids of ICAR-IIHR. Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Principal Scientist and Head (i/c),explained to the farmers on various fruit crops production in kitchen garden, commercial cultivation and marketing strategies.
As part of the program, Arka vegetable seed kits of ICAR-IIHR and Seed kits of Department of Horticulture and Plantation crops, Tamil Nadu Government were distributed. These interventions are expected to support introduction of new vegetable crops, varieties/hybrids, improved cultivation practices and better incomes for farming communities in the region. This initiative showcased the joint efforts of ICAR-IIHR, Department of Tribal Welfare (Govt. of TN), Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department, NGOs, and local organizations in building farm women capacity to grow various kind of vegetable crops and strengthening the livelihoods of tribal and scheduled caste communities in this region. At the end, Irula Tribal Farmers Sangam President Mr Rengasamy delivered the vote of thanks. This program was attended by more than 50 Irula tribal farmers of Coimbatore district along with officials from Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Vivekandatha Trust and Arulagam NGOs etc. This training program was widely published in various social media.
