SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is preparing to expand the cultivation of makhana (fox nut) as a high-value crop, with the Agriculture Department announcing plans to introduce it in suitable areas of Jammu Division following encouraging results from a demonstration trial in north Kashmir.
The announcement came at the conclusion of a two-day seminar on makhana cultivation organised by the Joint Directorate of Agriculture (Extension) at Baba Jitto Kissan Kendra, Talab Tillo, Jammu.
Addressing the valedictory session, Director Agriculture Jammu and Nodal Officer for Makhana Cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir, Anil Gupta, said the seminar marked an important step towards introducing makhana as a profitable diversification crop in the Union Territory. He said a demonstration project at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bandipora, had produced encouraging results, providing confidence that the crop could soon be cultivated commercially in suitable parts of Jammu.
Gupta said the Government of India had also approved a Central Sector Scheme for the Development of Makhana, reflecting the increasing national focus on promoting the crop. He noted that Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Jammu region, has considerable potential for makhana cultivation, which could provide farmers with a lucrative alternative to traditional crops.
He, however, stressed that seminars alone would not ensure the successful introduction of the crop. The Agriculture Department, he said, would organise exposure visits for farmers and departmental officers to established makhana-growing regions so they could learn scientific cultivation practices, processing techniques and value-addition methods before adopting them in Jammu and Kashmir.
The seminar featured technical sessions by Dr Indu Shekhar Singh, Principal Scientist and Head of the ICAR–Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga, Bihar, who shared expertise on scientific cultivation, production technologies, processing and value addition.
During an interaction with participants, young agripreneur Diana Foter presented her start-up focused on processing, branding and marketing makhana products. Appreciating the initiative, Gupta assured her of the department’s support, saying young entrepreneurs would play a key role in driving agricultural transformation in the Union Territory.
Earlier, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Idrees Bashir Ahmed highlighted the importance of scientific knowledge dissemination and capacity building for the successful introduction of makhana cultivation. He also thanked farmers from Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts for participating in the seminar and urged them to apply the knowledge gained to promote the crop in their respective areas.
