Makhana Farming: Chhattisgarh Farmer Gajendra Chandrakar Adopted Advanced Technology In Makhana Cultivation

Makhana Farming (Fox Nut ‘Makhana’ Farming): Who says that there is only traditional farming in Chhattisgarh, if you also think the same then this article might change your concept about Chhattisgarh. Farmers of the state are now earning more profits by cultivating Makhana than paddy. Farmers of Chhattisgarh state have become very aware about the cultivation of this super food Makhana.

Makhana farming, profitable yield 

Farmer Gajendra Chandrakar is cultivating makhana in 25 to 30 acres of land in Lingadih village of Arang area of the capital Raipur. Kisan of India talked to him about the cultivation of Makhana. The farmer said that Makhana cultivation can be a better option to double the income compared to paddy as there is moisture for 6 months to 8 months after the paddy harvest in the state.

In such a situation, in most of the areas no profitable crop is grown as a substitute or alternative farming. Now the situation has changed. Makhana crop is becoming a good alternative. Instead of leaving their land vacant, farmers can cultivate Makhana by maintaining the water level on this moist land.

How long does it take to grow makhana?

Cultivation of Makhana takes about 6 months. About 10 to 15 quintals are produced in 1 acre. The price of its seeds is Rs 80 to 100 per kg. In this context, one can easily earn around Rs 80 thousand to Rs 1 lakh from 1 acre in 6 months. The biggest thing is that compared to paddy, it is neither harmed by excessive rain nor by animals. This happens in a pond-like puddle inside the water.

How to cultivate Makhana? 

A new method of cultivating Makhana has been developed by the National Makhana Research Centre, Darbhanga. By this method, Makhana can be cultivated in agricultural land filled with water up to 1 feet. In this new method, the time of cultivation of Makhana reduces from 6 months to four months.

Advanced method of Makhana farming 

1. Like paddy nursery, Makhana nursery is also prepared. In this farm system of Makhana, nursery is prepared in January-February.
2. The nursery is ready for transplantation after 45 to 60 days.
3. Like paddy, Makhana crop is planted at a distance of 1 meter from plant to plant and row to row. 4000 plants are planted per acre.
4. Purple flowers bloom after 2 months of transplantation.
5. After 35-40 days the fruit becomes fully developed.
6. It is harvested in late September or October.
7. On an average, one laborer can easily extract 15 to 20 kg of Makhana seeds.
8. About 2.5 to 3 tonnes of seeds per hectare or 10 to 12 quintals per acre are produced.

How to manage water in Makhana farming? 

Being an aquatic plant, it is very important to always have water for the cultivation of Makhana. It is important for the fields to remain filled with 1 feet of water.

Also Read: Ankush Giri succeeded in Pearl Farming by learning from failures

Weed control in makhana farming

In comparison to other crops, the problem of weeds is negligible in Makhana cultivation. Aquatic weeds, hydrilla and azolla should be removed from time to time, which are also used as food for fishes.

Benefits of eating Makhana 

We all have definitely heard the benefits of Makhana from our grandmothers, but perhaps we have forgotten to put their words into practice. Let us remind you again of the golden words in context of modern science –

1. Along with increasing immunity, it is also effective in handling malnutrition.
2. It is nutrition rich food. It has good demand globally.
3. It also has many medicinal properties. Calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc are found in it, which puts Makhana in the category of super food.
4. It has good amount of protein. Fibre is also found in abundance.
5. Consuming Makhana with milk before sleeping at night also solves the problem of insomnia.
6. Regular consumption of Makhana removes weakness of the body.
7. Makhana prevents body parts from becoming numb and prevents knee and back pain. Makhana contains nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals and phosphorus etc. They are considered extremely beneficial for men.
8. Cultivation of this superfood doubles both the income of farmers and the amount of nutrition in your body.

In the second part of this article, we will tell you about the processing of Makhana and how farmers can get benefit from Makhana cultivation by processing it.

Also Read: Weed Management: How to control weeds in Kharif crops? Know the methods suggested by ICAR

Contact us – If farmers want to share any valuable information or experiences related to farming, they can connect with us via phone or WhatsApp at 9599273766 or you can write to us at “kisanofindia.mail@gmail.com”. Through Kisan of India, we will convey your message to the people, because we believe that if the farmers are advanced then the country is happy.

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