Do you know what is the most costly vegetable or crop in the entire world? Let’s know about this vegetable which has created lots of opportunities for farmers across the globe and is now making its debut in India.
The cultivation of the world’s costliest vegetable which is named as ‘hop shoots’ has recently started on a trial basis in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.
Amresh Singh, 38, a farmer from Karamdih village under Navinagar block of Bihar’s Aurangabad district, is the first to start hop-shoots cultivation in 5 kathas of his land.
Singh who is an intermediate-pass from Hazaribagh’s St. Columbus College in 2012 has recently said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a special arrangement for the promotion of cultivation of ‘hop-shoots’, it will make the farmers earn 10 times more than they can do by other means of agriculture within a couple of years.
As per reports, ‘Hop-Shoots’(Humulus-lupulus) used to be sold for 1000 pounds a kg even six years ago in international markets which comes roughly to about Rs 1 lakh. The crop which is rarely seen in the Indian market can be bought only by placing a special order.
“I am happy to say that more than 60 per cent of its cultivation has happened successfully,” Singh said. The cultivation of hop-shoots (humulus-lupulus) is going on under the supervision of agricultural scientist Dr. Lal of the Indian Vegetable Research Institute at Varanasi.
“I have planted the saplings of this vegetable two months ago after having brought it from the Indian Vegetable Research Institute at Varanasi. I hope it will be a grand success and turnaround agriculture in Bihar too,” Singh said.
Hop-Shoots Cultivation:
The farming of hop-shoots is mainly found in European countries like Britain, Germany, and others. Earlier it was done in Himachal Pradesh but stopped since its marketing did not take off because of the high price.
Amresh also told us that he also cultivates many other medicinal and aromatic plants.
“In the farming sector, taking a risk with the self-confidence ultimately helps the farmer to win. I have taken the risk for experimenting with the cultivation of hop-shoot in Bihar and hope, it will set a benchmark,” he added.