Exhibition showcases value-added products from Soft-Shelled Job’s Tears at Manipur University

An exhibition showcasing value-added products derived from soft-shelled Job’s Tears, locally known as “Chaning Athotpa” (Coix lacryma-jobi L.), was held yesterday at the Manipur University canteen premises. The event highlighted innovative efforts aimed at enhancing the socio-economic prospects of farmers in Manipur.
The exhibition was inaugurated by N. Lokendra Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University, in the presence of N. Mohilal Singh, Dean of the School of Life Sciences; Kananbala Sarangthem, Head of the Department of Botany; Thangjam Robert Singh, Principal Investigator of the project; Thangjam Joykumar Singh of Thangjam Agro Limited; and representatives from Machang Bakery, Thaddeus Nutraceuticals, and PB Enterprises, along with other invited guests and delegates.
The event was organised under a sponsored project of the ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology titled “Processing and Product Formulation of Job’s Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) for Socio-economic Benefit of Farmers in Manipur.” The initiative is currently in its second phase (2025–26), following the successful establishment of a Job’s Tears village seed bank during 2024–25.
The ongoing phase focuses on developing diversified value-added products to promote the crop’s commercial utilisation. Over the past year, extensive trials have led to the development of a variety of products, including cookies, muffins, buns, doughnuts, bread, nutrimeal, puffed products, herbal drinks, alcoholic beverages, porridge, and mushroom spawning substrates.
The project is led by Dr. Thangjam Robert Singh, Associate Professor in the Department of Botany, Manipur University, with Tapan Kumar Mondal of the ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology serving as the Co-operating Centre Principal Investigator.
The initiative has been implemented in collaboration with Thangjam Agro Limited, Machang Bakery, Thaddeus Nutraceuticals, PB Enterprises, and the villagers of Khurkhul, reflecting a strong partnership between academia, industry, and local communities.
The exhibition provided a platform to demonstrate the potential of Job’s Tears as a versatile crop, paving the way for entrepreneurship development and sustainable livelihoods.