Abstract:
Northern parts of West Bengal possess ample scope for cultivating underutilized tropical and
subtropical fruit species. Burmese grape (Baccaurea sapida Muell. Arg.) can be grown well in
home-stead and intercropped with rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) and mango (Mangifera imdica) It is good source of vitamin C and minerals like calcium and iron. The average diet of
rural communities in West Bengal, India is highly deficient in calories, nutrients (calcium,
iron) and vitamins (A and C). The crops grown in home-stead are the only sources of
protective food for people living in villages in meeting their requirements of vitamins and
minerals. Besides meeting the nutritional requirements, it is having much aesthetic,
medicinal and income generation potential.
