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By now you must have seen the potato growing inside the soil. But a unique type of farming is being done in West Champaran of Bihar. Whose produce is in the air. The special thing is that this potato is full of medicinal properties. Therefore, diabetic patients can also eat it. At the same time, its price in the market is double that of normal potatoes.
West Champaran: These days one such variety of potato is being cultivated in the district. Whose produce is not being produced in the soil of the fields, but in the air on scaffolding or trees. Farmer Vijay Giri, resident of Harpur village in Ramnagar block of the district, has planted this special variety of potato in his garden. They say that its fruit is not on the ground but in the air like a fruit. Its shape is also completely different compared to normal potatoes. According to agricultural scientists, it is rich in starch, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This is the reason why diabetic patients can also consume it.
Vijay cultivates rare crops
Vijay Giri, resident of Harpur village of Sohsa Panchayat, is a progressive farmer. He has been cultivating rare and unique crops for decades. In the soil of Champaran itself, he has cultivated many such crops including cardamom, malta, khus, magic rice and black turmeric, whose color is completely different from normal. In this sequence of his unique farming, he is now growing a potato which is mainly known as Air Potato.
This potato grows in the air, not the soil.
Dr. Ashutosh Kumar, an agricultural scientist working at the Agricultural Science Center located in Narkatiaganj, says that this unique potato grown by Vijay is known as Hawaiian potato. Where other potatoes are grown on land. Whereas Hawaiian potatoes are cultivated by making scaffolding. In such a situation, it starts bearing fruit in the air like a pumpkin like a climbing vegetable. Only a few farmers are cultivating it across the country, in which Vijay’s name is also included.
full of medicinal properties
According to Ashutosh, Hawaiian potatoes contain more vitamins and minerals than ordinary potatoes. The great thing is that it contains very high amount of anti-oxidants and less amount of starch. This is the reason why diabetic patients can also consume it.
Price is higher than normal potatoes
Vijay tells that he had ordered wild potato seeds from Chhattisgarh. After fruiting, even though its shape is different from the problem potato, but in taste it tastes exactly like a normal potato. Yes, the quantity of nutrients in it is very high, hence its price in the market is almost double that of normal potatoes.
