Mithila's makhana to be grown in Kashmir; Darbhanga experts to train farmers

Bihar's famous Mithila makhana (fox nut) is set to be cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir under an agreement between the National Research Centre for Makhana in Darbhanga and the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

At the request of J&K's agriculture department, a four-member team led by senior scientist Dr Manoj Kumar will visit Kashmir in November or December to train farmers in makhana production and crop management. The centre's improved variety, 'Swarna Vaidehi', will be tested there.

The Darbhanga centre has already trained farmers from Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. Experts estimate makhana cultivation in India could expand to four lakh hectares over the next decade.