22 Sep Export Potential, Nutritional Value and Commercial Cultivation of aquatic crop Makhana
जलीय फसल मखाना की निर्यात क्षमता, पोषण महत्व और वाणिज्यिक खेती Makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.), Family Nymphaeaceae, is an important non-cereal aquatic crop cultivated in stagnant perennial water bodies like ponds, land depressions, oxbow lakes, swamps and ditches. Makhana is also commonly known as Fox nut and Gorgon nut, the propped seeds of makhana is eaten and also used in preparation of various kind of sweets and recipes. Makhana plant is distributed to almost every parts of the world and considered as a native of South-East Asia and China. In general, its distribution is mainly limited to tropical and sub-tropical regions of South-East Asia and also known to exist in Japan, Korea, Russia, North America, Nepal, Bangladesh and some parts of India. In India, Makhana is distributed in Bihar, Eastern Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan. However, its commercial cultivation is limited to mainly North Bihar, Manipur, parts of West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. The Bihar state alone accounts more than 85% of the makhana production of the country. In Bihar, Darbangha, Madhubani, Purnia, and Katihar districts alone contribute approximately 80% of the total production of processed makhana. There is a huge export potential of this crop as propped seed of makhana is highly nutritious and...