Model watch: Children take a look at models explaining water harvesting and farming system at Agroteck-2007 at Birsa Agriculture University

Ranchi, Feb. 21: What is the first thing that comes to one’s mind when soya and Mahua are mentioned? Beans and country liquor, may be.

But, a visit to Agrotek 2007 — Birsa Agriculture University’s (BAU) three-day fair — can surprise all, as stalls selling wide varieties of soya muffins and laddus are on the offer, along with cakes, dhoklas and kachauris made of Mahua.

This interesting stall has been set up by the home science department of the BAU at the agriculture fair and has managed to attract a large crowd.

Right from irrigation machines to home-made food, they had it all.

Everyone, who visited the food stalls, was keen to learn recipes and methods for making the interesting delicacies from vegetables and other plant products.

And then there were the giant and dwarf-sized vegetables that attracted a large crowd. If one stall boasted of a 2.5-kg radish, the other stall had a full-grown thumb-sized brinjal. Apart from this, crowds thronged majority of other stalls selling home-made products like jams, jellies, pickles and papads.

A resident from Harmu Housing Colony, Radha Jaiswal, said: “The fair has given us an opportunity to update our stock for the pantry with products that are not easily available in the local market. One may find ber pickle in most of the shops, but items like the mushroom and mixed vegetable pickle is rarely available.”

The agriculture fair not only updated the farmers about the latest technologies, but also gave them a chance to learn better means of irrigation and harvesting. New models of pumps and tractors were also on display for the farmers to see. Over 100 different kinds of fertilisers were available at the fair.

Ram Kumar, a farmer from Kanke, said: “Most of the fertilisers here are not available in the daily market. Though, we are aware of the latest technologies, but finding a proper fertiliser is not always that easy. The fair has given us an opportunity to see all types of manure, and the presence of experts at the stalls is also a piece of luck, as we are getting to learn how to use them.”

Green time: Students take time out to explain plants to a visitor

Also, a popular stall was the one set up by the live stock production and management department of BAU attracted a large crowd. Raghuveer Ranjan of the department said, the Kadaknath and White LegHorn breeds of chicken, attracted a large number of customers.

But crowd puller at the fair were the first-timers a pair of turkeys and emus. The red snood of the male turkey got many onlookers. However, oblivious to all the noise and the crowd were the Emu couple and their new-born baby.