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| NARI, KSHAMTA AND VATICA | | TOWARDS NUTRITIONAL SECURITY AND EMPOWERMENT | | Dr. Parveen Kumar, Dr. D. Namgyal
The country has made enormous progress in food grains production and ensuring food security for all. However food security is to be complimented with nutritional security. The lack of adequate nutrients in our food intake adversely affects our health and the individuals become prone to various types of deficiency diseases which ultimately affect the country. This has been reported by the findings of National Health Policy 2017 presented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Govt. of India which highlighted the negative impact of malnutrition on the population’s productivity, and its contribution to mortality rates in the country. The major nutritional problems are protein energy malnutrition (PEM), vitamin A deficiency (VAD), iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). India was at the 10th spot among countries with the highest number of underweight children, and at the 17th spot for the highest number of stunted children in the world. Malnutrition affects chances of survival for children, increases their susceptibility to illness, reduces their ability to learn, and makes them less productive in later life. It is estimated that malnutrition is a contributing factor in about one-third of all deaths of children under the age of 5. Over the decade between 2005 and 2015, there has been an overall reduction in the proportion of underweight children in India, mainly on account of an improvement in stunting. While the percentage of stunted children under 5 reduced from 48% in 2005-06 to 38.4% in 2015-16, there has been a rise in the percentage of children who are wasted from 19.8% to 21% during this period. The different nationwide nutritional interventions have not been able to make much headway in dealing with nutritional problems.
The Indian council of Agriculture has started three progammes to ensure nutritional security of the peoples in the country. These three programmes include:
NUTRI-SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE RESOURCES AND INOVATIONS (NARI): In the country, there is abundance of locally available vegetables, fruits and different types of food grains that are rich in nutrients. All these can be grown in vegetable gardens to cater to the nutritional requirements of Children, adult, women and the old. The main objectives of NARI are: to link agriculture to nutrients so as to encourage Nutri-sensitive agriculture, to raise awareness of women and rural youth abour Nutri-sensitive agriculture and about kitchen gardening. The main activities under NARI are conducting demonstrations and trainings on nutrient rich crops and varieties, fortification of locally available food resources, skill development through trainings and to focus and promote value addition of fruits, cereals and vegetables and Nutri-sensitive agriculture by involving schools, Integrated Child Development Centers (ICDS) centres by promoting the concept like nutritive thali, nutrition calendar etc.
KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND HOMESTEAD AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT IN TRIBAL AREAS (KSHAMTA): The Tribal areas in the country have their own distinct and a unique culture. Being geographically isolated, these areas are still devoid of the fruits of development. Agriculture is main source of livelihood for inhabitants of this region. It thus becomes necessary that the tribal regions be developed on the basis of an integrated model involving their farm and family. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started an initiative that involves a focused programme in 125 districts of the country where tribal population is twenty five percent or more. The programme is called the Knowledge Systems and Homestead Agriculture Management in Tribal Areas (KSHAMTA). The initiative is to grow food what one wants to eat. The basic philosophy of KSHAMTA is agricultural development of the region using the traditional knowledge of the peoples of the region. The focus of these programmes is to convene programmes on nutritionally enriching foods and to give scientific interventions on agricultural and allied sectors like livestock and fisheries. KSHAMTA also provides for the mapping of entire food system of village and suggesting what they should eat. Tribal areas are rich in medicinal and aromatic plants which have a great economic value. The said programme should also work for the awareness, protection and conservation of such plants.
VALUE ADDITION AND TECHNOLOGY INCUBATION CENTERS IN AGRICULTURE: The country is now having a record food grain production but the unfortunate thing is that the level of food processing in the country is very low. NITI Aayog estimates an annual post-harvest loss of close to Rs 90,000 crore. India is the world's second largest producer of fruits & vegetables after China but hardly 2% of the produce is processed. In spite of a large production base, the level of processing is low (less than 10%). Approximately 2% of fruits and vegetables, 8% marine, 35% milk, 6% poultry are processed. To focus on this aspect, ICAR has come up with VATICA. Under VATICA, dissemination of post harvest technology and skill development of farmers, farm women, rural youth and farmer organization on various post harvest management strategies will be conducted. Advice and technical help to be provided to farmers and youths interested in setting up their own enterprises related to post harvest processing.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as an apex institute of the country has been at the forefront for the cause of farming community. NARI, KSHAMTA and VATICA are definitely three important schemes in addressing the nutritional security and post harvest losses of peoples and food commodities in the country. Again KVKs will have to play an important role in dissemination of the schemes, ensuring nutritional security, skill development and finally for empowerment of the farming community. |
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