SHILLONG, Nov 15: Phlingson Lyngdoh Nongbri from Umphrew, Smit has become the first farmer in Meghalaya to have harvested honey from the flowers of the buckwheat that are now growing profusely in the farmers’ fields. Although the quantity of honey is not much right now but expectations are the harvest would soon be commercially viable.
Nongbri is one of 27 farmers supported by the Farmer’s Commission to start buckwheat farming in Meghalaya. Speaking to The Shillong Times, Chairperson of the Farmers’ Commission, KN Kumar said, “We gave the farmers the seeds obtained from the ICAR, Almora, Uttarakhand and now they have started harvesting the seeds. We expect a yield of 15 quintals of seeds which will again be used to distribute to some more farmers in the next season.”
Although the quantity this time is not much yet the first experiment of growing buckwheat which is a healthy substitute for wheat (atta and maida which have gluten in them). Unlike wheat buckwheat is not a grass and produces a type of fruit similar to rhubarb.
Science says buckwheat honey is a highly nutritious honey made by bees that collect the nectar from the tiny buckwheat flowers which also means that bees have to work extra hard to collect the honey from them. Buckwheat honey is not as sweet as traditional honey but it contains a higher amount of anti-oxidants. On its own, buckwheat is rich in vitamins and is considered a healthy food.