Nagaland: Local food show marks Poshan Abhiyaan campaign in Kuda village

Dimapur, Sep. 20 (EMN): A local food show marked the Rashtriya Poshan Abhiyaan campaign held at Kuda Youth Hall in Kuda village on September 20 on the theme ‘Traditional foods for woman and children in tribal areas.’

A DIPR report stated that CDPO Dimapur (U), Renchano Odyuo, in her briefing said the campaign has been functioning for the past five years to give information and how to improve nutrition for kids and adults. She informed that the focus of Abhiyaan was to emphasise on the nutritional status of adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children from 0-6 years of age.

Odyuo added that Poshan 2.0 seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by the creation of a convergent ecosystem to develop and promote practices that nurture health, wellness, and immunity.

Its main objective was to contribute to the human capital development of the country; address challenges of malnutrition; promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing; and address nutrition-related deficiencies through key strategies, she added.

Odyuo also urged the people to take more local food as it gives more nutrition and helps improve health and also to promote more local traditional food.

SDO (C), Development, Dimapur, L Samuel, in his speech, urged the people to consume organic food as it is more nutritious. He also encouraged the gathering to grow their own organic food.

In the sensitisation on fortified rice, programme officer, SBCC, CHRI of Food Fortification, Kakugha T Aye,  said fortified rice contains FSSAI prescribed micronutrients (iron, folic acid, vitamin B12) to normal rice (custom milled rice) in the ratio of 1:100 (mixing 1 kg of FRK with 100 kg custom milled rice). He said that fortified rice is identical to traditional rice in aroma, taste, and texture and the process is done in the rice mills at the time of milling of rice.

ADPM, NSRLM, DRDA Dimapur, M Yimok Phom, said self-help groups in Dimapur under six cluster or blocks with six federations are doing quite well. She called upon the gathering to maintain kitchen garden in every household, which not only help in maintaining health but also provide income.

Other highlights of the programme include local food shops set up by 12 SHGs under RD-NSRLM, on-the-spot distribution of IEC materials of fortified rice, demonstration of fortified rice, and video streaming of an online cooking competition on nutritious food for women and children.