Margao: To celebrate tuber diversity and familiarise people with the communities that grow them, the Government College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Quepem, through its tribal development committee held a “tuber bazaar” at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on Saturday. The event marked the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda.
Goa’s tribal women showcased a variety of tubers, roots, yams, GI-tagged Khola chillies, and gaavti vakhadh (medicinal herbal preparations), drawing a large crowd to the stalls.
“We organised this bazaar in Margao to sensitise the urban community about the benefits of consuming tubers, roots, and vegetables. Many are unfamiliar with tuber crops, their cultivators, and the rich heritage of their farming traditions,” said a spokesperson. The tuber bazaar aimed to promote awareness about sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and the potential of indigenous tuber crops to a broader audience.
Highlighting the modern urban generation’s lost art of preparing delicacies from roots, tubers, yams, and other forest produce, the organisers hoped to promote their use for their high nutritional value. Tribal women also demonstrated the preparation of these dishes at a few stalls.
“These products are purely organic and advisable for consumption for a healthy life,” the organisers said.
