Moringa or Drumstick is a small fruit-bearing and valuable agroforestry tree with many valuable properties. It grows fast in suitable conditions and it continues to grow if pruned. The green leaves can be used as animal fodder or as a green vegetable for human consumption. Seed pods, the fruit, it produces make a delicious vegetable when young. It is a leguminous tree that improves soil fertility.
Properties of Seeds
Moringa seeds also have very special properties. When ground, the seed kernels make good cooking oil and the paste makes good animal feed. According to a few native peoples, they used ground seed kernels to clean water. When a very small amount of crushed kernel paste is mixed with water, it forms clumps of any particles and pathogens in the water, which quickly sink to the bottom. Water can be filtered through a cloth and then safe to drink.
Moringa Cultivation in Bangladesh
Drumstick is cultivated in different areas of Bangladesh. Moringa is very popular as an agroforestry tree worldwide. People are getting seedlings from different local and international NGOs during plantation season. However, farmers usually collect moringa stems from full-grown trees and planted them in the soil. Nursery growers of Bangladesh mainly raised Drumstick seedlings from the seeds which collected from India.
Uses of Moringa in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, people are not usually eating tree leaves as vegetables. They use green leaves for animal fodder. The dried drumstick leaves are used as an alternative to tea leaves. It is becoming popular in Bangladesh. People young entrepreneurs are producing drumstick tablets using tree leaves. However, green leaves as human food have a great prospect in case of vegetable scarcity.
Moringa is considered as Super Food
Moringa as Climate Resilient
During flood time in Bangladesh, the people of flood-prone and cyclone-prone areas could use drumstick seeds to clean water as an indigenous method. In the coastal area people, mainly use pond water for drinking and they could easily use drumsticks seeds/kernels to purify water to fulfill their safe water demand. Different NGOs can organize training for rural people to teach cleaning water using moringa kernels.
Market Demand
Young pods of moringa are very popular as green vegetables in Bangladesh. Interestingly, people are using both young and mature pods in cooking. It has a great prospect in the national market of Bangladesh. Moringa oil as cooking oil from the seed kernels has a good prospect. Although, need more research in this regard for processing the oil from kernels and marketing it nationally.
Finally, Powdered the dried moringa leaves (rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein) well in a mortar and pestle. Then, store it in a jar for future use with stew, porridge, soup, or baby cereal just before eating. Therefore, Moringa leaves can be used to prevent or cure malnutrition.
