Farmers should focus on cultivating bamboo as they are the only raw material for processing bamboo shoots (indigenous food of North East), said director of Extension Education, CAU, Lamphelpat, Ratan Kumar Saha.
Saha was delivering the chief guest speech during the inauguration of two-day long training programme on ‘Bamboo Shoot Processing’ on Monday at the College of Food Technology, Central Agricultural University (CAU), Lamphlepat.
The training programme was jointly organised by the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) Assam, NEC, College of Food Technology, CAU, Lamphelpat and Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS), Manipur.
Saha said that there are many unique food items available in the north eastern states and more than 63 species of bamboo available in the North East alone. The immune systems of the north east people are stronger compared to people from other regions as they consume natural products and foods which have a lot of health benefits, he added.
Stating that bamboo shoot can be poisonous and also can lead to health hazards because it contains high hydrocyanic acid, he said that there is a need to reduce the acid contained by boiling, removing the water and drying it in the sun. The bamboo shoot found in the northeast contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and rich minerals particularly potassium which is important for the body, added the director.
He appealed to the public to conserve and protect the bamboo species so that the future generation can use them sufficiently.
The function was also attended by dean of College of Food Technology, CAU, Lamphelpat Ng Joykumar as president, chief scientist of CSIR Ng Iboyaima, senior principal scientist H Birkumar, academic in-charge of College of Food Technology, CAU, Lamphelpat RK Nurbahan, chief functionary of AIMS Teruaki Watanabe and vice-president of AIMS M Khelendro as guests of honour.
