Sundargarh: A 15-member delegation from six departments of Telangana government visited Sundargarh district for two days – Tuesday and Wednesday – on the instruction of Special Chief Secretary of Telangana government’s Finance and Planning department to learn about spirulina farming. The delegates met the DMF team first and had a vivid discussion on how the spirulina project was implemented in Sundargarh on pilot basis. They also visited the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) located at Kirei, where spirulina has been cultivated. The scientists of KVK along with Mahesh RV, founder of Spirulina Foundation, from Karnataka gave them practical insights about the spirulina cultivation.
The visit was planned to understand spirulina cultivation in KVK Sundargarh, local spirulina chikki manufacturing in Rangadhipa by Maa Lakshmi Producer Group and Maa Tarini SHG in Chungimati in Rajgangpur. Then they visited chikki making units which are managed by SHG members. They learnt about the process, financials, arrangements and profit margins etc. In the evening they again met at the DMF office and interacted with officials, who conducted the pilot study of spirulina in Lephripara block in 2020.
On Wednesday, they visited Anganwadi Centres in Subdega and Bargaon, and interacted with the mothers and Anganwadi workers to understand the process. Later they visited Chungimati in Rajgangpur, where they understood a relatively low cost model of setting up chikki making unit.
