I keep seeing konjac promoted for glucomannan and shirataki noodles. Is it actually viable to grow in India and is there a real buyer, or is it a trap?
Be cautious and honest with yourself here. Konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) yields glucomannan, a soluble fibre used in low-calorie noodles, supplements and food processing. It grows in cool, humid hill conditions and parts of the Northeast and some hill areas are agro-climatically suitable. The big risk is the market: India does not have a large, established konjac buying and processing chain, so demand is niche and often export or contract dependent. Do not plant on a large scale on the promise of a vague buyer. Before investing, get a written buy-back or confirmed buyer, verify processing and drying requirements, and start with a small trial. Konjac is also a multi-year corm crop, so capital is locked up for a while. Verify suitability and any genuine buyer through your KVK, the State Horticulture department or research institutes before committing.
A trader promised to buy my konjac and then vanished at harvest. Please get the buyer in writing first. The plant grew fine in our Khasi hills climate, the problem was selling, not growing.
It is a slow crop, the corm takes more than one season to size up. Treat it as an experiment, not your main income, until a buyer is proven.
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