This Bihar farmer grows a veggie that costs Rs 1 lakh a kg

• The Hop-Shoots is sold for 1,000 pounds a kg even 6 years ago in overseas market

• It helps create antibodies to fight against diseases like tuberculosis

• Its acids are known to help kill cancer cells and block leukaemia cells

It took a tweet from an IAS officer Supriya Sahu to catapult the farmer Amresh Singh, a 38-year-old who hails from the Karamdih village in Aurangabad to fame. The IAS officer said that this could be the game changer for Indian farmers as she shared pictures of the farmer on twitter. Not many know about the wonder veggies-Hop Shoots.

A native of North America and Europe, it is believed to be a weed. The humble weed if one may call it is now gaining popularity due to its antibacterial properties. And, also for its bittering and flavouring aspects apart from being as a stability agent in beer.

Hop Shoots sell for around Rs 1 lakh a kilogram. Amresh Singh, started growing the vegetable in his 5 kathas of farmland. He said that over 60 percent of his cultivation bore fruit and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make special arrangements for the promotion of Hop Shoots’ cultivation.

He brought the saplings from the Indian Vegetable Research Institute at Varanasi and planted them around two months ago. “I hope it will be a grand success and bring a turnaround to the agriculture in Bihar,” Singh said.

The Hop-Shoots is sold for 1,000 pounds a kg even 6 years ago in overseas markets, which comes roughly to about Rs 1 lakh.

This crop is hardly seen in the Indian market and bought only by placing a particular order.The medical benefits of hop-shoots are that it helps create antibodies to fight against diseases like tuberculosis. Also, its acids are known to help kill cancer cells and block leukaemia cells.

It was used as a flavouring agent in beer. Gradually, its use as a vegetable and herbal medicine grew in a number of countries.

Hop shoots leaves are believed to taste like Kale while the stems have a nutty texture, according to a Guardian report. They are quite popular in Europe and are in demand in high-end restaurants.