The Super Food: Fox Nuts/Makhana

Makhana (Eurayle ferox) culture is extensively carried out at Harishchandrapur Block in Malda district. This is the harvesting season and the farmers have a busy time now, shares the Principal Scientist Pratap Mukhopadhyay of CIFA. Superfoods like Makhana help in Sustaining Future Food Security and Rural Livelihood support in our Changing Environment. When the cultivation of Makhana is integrated with aquaculture that helps make use of the fertile water for the production of fish species like magur, Clarias batrachus and singhi, Heteropneustes fossilis says the Scientist.

This area was used for deepwater rice cultivation even a few years ago and now replaced by makhana cultivation. Makhana is diabetic friendly as they contain the good fat and have a low quantity of saturated fats. 'Makhana' or the popped seeds of the lotus plant, are a potent source of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous iron and zinc.

There are many crops like Makhana and they are  Trapa, Water Lily, Lotus, Ipomea etc that could be exploited as a potential support to the rural economy and therefore needs conservation and better practices of understanding.

In rural areas where micronutrient deficiency is reported to be in large numbers among kids and womenfolk, usages of these crops should be recommended for helping decrease, malnutrition among them. The government needs to give impetus to these crops and thereby include them in Different Schemes. 

The Process: