The SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), Bangladesh team comprising Dr Md Harunur Rashid, Director SAC; Md Younus Ali, Senior Programme Specialist (livestock) and Project Coordinator Livelihood Enhancement Project and Dr Nowsher Ali, Consultant, visited the Moringa Value Chain project site implemented in Kannivadi, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, on January 23.

The team interacted with moringa farmers to understand technologies they adopted, new knowledge and skills gained on Moringa leaf production methods, inter-cultivation, pest and disease management using organic methods, reducing the post-harvest losses, about moringa value-added products in two villages of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu. They also visited the moringa value addition centre established at Reddiarchatram Sustainable Agriculture Producer Company Limited (RESAPCOL), Kittampatti, where they observed value-addition activities such as harvesting, drying, grinding, grading, packaging, branding and marketing.

Dr Nowsher Ali, Consultant, conducted an endline result assessment survey with the farmers to assess the impacts. The survey focused on how moringa cultivating farmers gained additional skill, knowledge, technology, and value addition-related information through various training programmes organised, and how effectively they adopted technologies for both production and value addition. There was discussion with moringa farmers and FPC Directors on the exit plan for the project as well as the sustainability plan for the moringa value-added products production and sales.