CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) is introducing Chia and Quinoa to the Indian farming community, which is looking at value addition of crops to generate revenues from food processing.
Chia is a Mexican plant of South American origin. Quinoa is grown across all the five continents of Asia, South America, North America, Europe and Africa.
The institute has developed two high yielding varieties of Chia: CHIAmpion W-83 and CHIAmpion B-1. These varieties have high demand compared to the commonly available black mottled seeds in the market. “For the first time we are engaged in distributing seeds to farmers for cultivation,” stated Prof. Ram Rajasekharan, director, CSIR-CFTRI, while speaking to FnB News about the initiative.
Both Chia and Quinoa are known for their high nutritive value. Chia seeds contain around 35 per cent oil which is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids of over 60 per cent. In fact, this is recommended for good heart and general health. Its dietary fibre content is 40 per cent and is also rich in protein of 22 per cent. Chia is a recognised super food globally with dramatic increase in cultivation and consumption. “There is a high demand for it both in the Indian and international market, therefore it is profitable for the farmers as a commercial crop,” he added.
Quinoa contains twice as much fibre as most grains and is rich in protein, iron, magnesium, manganese and riboflavin. The leaves are also edible and nutritious. These grains have a good amount of protein and starch that is lacking in staple cereals, according to the institute.
Prof. Rajasekharan, stated, “From an Indian perspective, Quinoa, can be an alternative to rice because of less carbohydrate, more protein fibre and minerals. The imported grain price is Rs 1,500 per kilo. It is now being cultivated at Anantapur through project Ananta through the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Rural Development.”
He pointed out, “Since farmers do not get value for many crops because of subdued international prices, there is every need for Indian agriculturalists to maximise this advantage of cultivating Chia and Quinoa.”
He added, “Now Chia being a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, let us empower our farmers to grow these nutraceutical oilseeds instead of conventional oilseeds and make them competitive in the international trade.”
He further stated, “The global situation with fish oil market which is difficult to source has now opened opportunities for the development of alternative sources of seed oil and algae for the extraction of Omega 3 fatty acid ingredients. In 2012, the global Omega 3 ingredients demand was 21.9 kilo tonne. It is expected to increase to over 60 kilo tonne by 2020 at a CAGR of 13.7 per cent between 2014 and 2020.”
