It’s a delicacy that is much in demand. Spine gourd, locally known as Boda Kakarakaya , remains the costliest vegetable pushing even chicken to the second place.
It’s being sold at ₹240 to ₹260 per kg while chicken is sold at ₹180 per kg here in the city. This is a seasonal vegetable that is not available in abundance unlike other vegetables and hence the high price. It is relished by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians equally owing to its taste and high nutritional value.
Senior agricultural scientist R. Uma Reddy said spine gourd is not grown much in Warangal district. It is grown on little patches in Khammam district and in the Agency mandals like Mangapet of Warangal district. “It’s a highly remunerative crop, but farmers lack knowledge about it,” he said.
Spine gourd is usually harvested in the wild by tribals in villages abutting the forests. In the recent times, some farmers have been growing it on a commercial scale. “One should plant more female plants and less male ones. It does not require any fertilizers, but one needs patience to grow them,” Mr. Reddy explained. The plants are propagated through rhizome.
Fruits, leaves, and tuberous roots of spine gourd (Momordica dioica) are popular with diabetics in rural areas for its relief properties. The aqueous extract of its fruit possesses excellent anti-diabetic activity.
Samudrala Kantha Rao, a resident of Ramnagar, said the spine gourd costs more than other vegetables. “Even at the end of the season, it costs ₹120 per kg and not any less. Our farmers should grow more of this as there is huge demand,” he said. Mr. Reddy said the Horticulture Department should come forward to educate farmers about the importance of growing spine gourd that is remunerative.
