A joint initiative by the Kerala government and the Union government's Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is creating new market opportunities for tribal women farmers by turning locally grown sweet potatoes into value-added food products.

The Punarjeevana Madhuram project, implemented by Kerala's Kudumbashree mission and the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI), has launched six sweet potato-based products under K-INAM, Kudumbashree's premium agri-food brand. The products include three varieties of sweet potato flour, a health mix and soup. Sweet potato powder, gummies and chips have also been developed using modern processing technologies.

The products are made from fortified orange- and purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties and are being introduced to international markets through the K-INAM brand.

Project combines farming, technology and market access

Punarjeevana was launched in 2024 to promote sustainable livelihoods, improve nutrition and develop sweet potato value chains among tribal communities in Attappady.

Around 80 tribal women farmers are part of the project, with sweet potato cultivation spread across more than 100 acres. Farmers receive planting material of high-yielding hybrid varieties, farming inputs, field-level training and skill development support.

The products have been developed using around 12 technologies transferred by ICAR-CTCRI. The project combines scientific processing methods with community-based branding to increase the value of locally grown produce before it reaches consumers.

Expansion planned after Attappady rollout

Following the project's implementation in Attappady, Kudumbashree plans to extend similar activities to Idukki, Kasaragod and Kannur districts.

According to the project details, the expansion aims to create value-added products from local agricultural produce and market them through K-INAM, opening additional income opportunities for farmers and Kudumbashree members in more parts of Kerala.