The ‘superfood’ taking over fields in northern India

Like his father and grandfather before him, Phool coder Shahni once made a living by diving to the bottom of 8ft-deep (2.4m), muddy ponds.

” I used to dive in 7 to 8 feet of water for hours a time before coming to the floor to swallow for 8 to ten days,” recalls Mr. Shahni.

He was attempting to harvest the seeds of a water purple called euryale ferox while he was submerged in those dark abyss.

Known as makhanas, fox nuts or lotus seeds, they are prized for their nutritional value, being high in B vitamins, protein and fibre, with some touting them as a superfood.

Usually eaten as a treat, makhanas are also used in various recipes, including the butter pudding dessert, as well as being ground into flour.

In the north-western Indian state of Bihar, where Mr Shahni lives, 90 % of the country’s makhana is grown.

The daisy plant’s large, round leaves are perched at the top of the pond. However, water causes seeds to type in pods, so getting them was a long process.

” While we are at the bottom leaping, dirt enters our lips, eyes, nose and mouth. Many of us suffer from skin problems as a result. Additionally, Mr. Shahni claims that the herb is covered in vines, which cause cuts all over the body when the seeds are harvested.

But in recent years farmers have changed the cultivation process. The plants are now often grown in fields, in much shallower water.

Mr. Shahni may earn twice as much money in a day by picking up seeds in a square foot of water.

” It’s still difficult job but I am glad of my history. One of my children will continue the tradition of working in the wolf seed area, and I have three kids.

Dr Manoj Kumar, is one of those behind the change in makhana agriculture.

He became aware that expanding his cultivation in profound ponds may be challenging about ten years ago.

He spearheaded the National Research Center for Makhana ( NRCM), which pioneered the cultivation of lilies in shallow water fields.

That approach has been gaining popularity over the past four or five years.

” With our improvements, growing rabbit nuts is now as simple as any produce grown on land. A feet is all that is needed for water. The workers do n’t have to work for hours in deep water”, he explains.

His center discovered a more stable and effective selection, which, according to him, has tripled the farmers ‘ money.

According to Dr. Kumar, growing makhana has assisted some landowners in surviving the recent floods and more hazy conditions in Bihar.

The NRCM is currently developing seeds-harvesting systems.

More and more farmers are drawn to all of that technology.

In 2022, the place used for wolf seed planting was 35, 224 acres (87, 000 acres ), an almost tenfold increase over 10 years.

One producer, Dhirendra Kumar, recently switched to makhana agriculture.

Although he grew up on a farm, he did n’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps.

We always managed to grow grains, lentils, and mustard as farmers, but we ultimately lost a lot of money.

” Most of the time storms destroyed the plants, “he says.

He made contact with a professor who was studying makhana cultivation when he decided to try the produce on his family’s farm.

” The results were remarkable. In the first year I made a gain of £340]US$ 432], “he says.

Now he grows lilies on 17 acres ( 6.9 hectares ) of land.

” In my biggest dreams I did not believe that I would find into growing rabbit beans, as it was a labour-intensive work, which was mostly carried out by anglers.”

Additionally, the grain change has given people more job opportunities. The seeds are now being sown by Mr. Kumar by roughly 200 local people.

He states,” My goal is to provide jobs to as many farmers as possible so that they do n’t leave farming because there is uncertainty in agriculture.”

Improvements have been made in other areas as well.

As well as being one of the leading cultivators of makhana, Madhubani Makhana, processes it for trade all over the world.

Usually, once the makhanas have been harvested, they are washed, roasted and then struck with a mallet-like tool to make them music.

” The technique is simplistic, unhygienic and dangerous. It is tedious, time-consuming and a number of days leads to injury and burns,” says Shambhu Prasad, the chairman and chief executive of Madhubani Makhana.

His business has created a system that meats and pops the rabbit seeds in collaboration with the NRCM.

According to Mr. Prasad,” This has helped us increase the production and quality of rabbit beans.”

In his northwestern Bihar production facility, Madhubani, three of the models have been put into use.

Mr. Prasad does not believe that the increase in production will be enough to cause prices to drop even though the planting and makhana processing industry is experiencing.

Major increases in production will be required to achieve any significant price reduction, he claims, given the rising global demand for makhana.

Dhirendra Kumar, who is currently raising his farm, believes that cultivating makhana may cause a significant change.

It marks the start of rabbit seed harvesting development in Bihar. It may change the landscape of the condition, “he says.