By a rickety road in a remote village in eastern India, dozens of men stand waist-deep in murky water to harvest a prized seed whose consumption has become a global fad.
The workers carry long sticks and a horn-shaped cane basket, called a gaja, to collect black seeds from prickly water lilies, Euryale ferox. These seeds will be transformed into foxnuts, touted as a superfood.
Foxnuts are usually eaten as snacks in roasted and puffed form. Traditionally they were consumed in northern and eastern India during religious festivals and fasts, but have recently gained popularity around the world for their nutritional properties. They are a dense carbohydrate and protein source and also contain magnesium and potassium.
However, the tedious process of procuring foxnuts makes them one of the most expensive seeds. On average, 100 grams are sold for between 200 and 400 rupees ($2.50 to $5).
India exports about 90 per cent of the world’s foxnut produce to at least 100 countries across Europe, the Americas and Middle East, including the UAE. The eastern state of Bihar is the largest producer and contributes 80 per cent of the country's harvest.
It grows about 10,000 tonnes of foxnuts annually, according to government data. This has earned the state India's coveted Geographical Indication tag. Unprecedented demand for the snack has provided an opportunity for farmers to move from traditional crops to fox nuts to improve their livelihoods.
More people are switching to foxnuts, even though they involve a lot of work, Lallan Mahaldar, who works on a farm in the district of Purnea, told The National. “Everyone benefits, from farmers to labourers and those who roast the seeds.”
Insects and thorns
Bihar is one of the most disadvantaged Indian states with poverty rates at 33 per cent in 2023, according to government data.
A large proportion of the population lacks education, health facilities and employment, forcing many people to migrate to neighbouring states. While 80 per cent of the population is engaged in farming, four out of five people leave Bihar for work after the harvesting season.
The state has traditionally grown rice, wheat and maize, but farmers say their earnings from these crops are not enough to make ends meet.
Fox nut farming, however, has given them hope. The seeds are grown in nine districts across the state, including Purnea, with local farmers and labourers saying they earn more than from maize or rice.
“We earn 500 rupees ($6) more a day,” Mr Mahaldar said. “Bihar is a poor state. We are forced to go to different states for work but we work here for two or three months and earn more money. We get sick from staying in the water but take medicines and return to work the next day. There are also insects and thorns. They prick the hands. An inexperienced person cannot work.”
'Extremely laborious'
Foxnuts were initially only found in the wild, but farmers now cultivate them in lowland waters during summer by sowing seeds. The seeds are ready by spring and harvested in September, said Guddu Kumar, who farms 20 acres of fox nuts in the Purnea village of Singhia.
Mr Kumar, 34, originally a paddy farmer, started fox nut farming six years ago. He said the transition was prompted by the produce's bumper profits.
“Our foxnuts are exported worldwide. We have noticed that sales have grown in recent years, and this is why there is more farming. We also grow maize, but we are benefiting more as the fox nuts give high returns,” he said.
But harvesting the seeds is tedious, Mr Kumar added. They grow in the pods of big circular leaves on the lily plant, hidden in murky, shallow water. The pods are surrounded by thick thorns that prick the labourers as they harvest them by hand.
Each plant yields between 75 and 125 seeds. The lilies need abundant rain to thrive, so when there is low rainfall farmers use pumps to maintain water levels in the ponds. The fruits rot and release the seeds into the water.
“I have 50 labourers who work four hours a day,” Mr Kumar said. “It is extremely laborious, starting from sowing the seeds, spraying fertiliser, clearing out weeds and then taking out seeds from the water.”
From pods to snacks
Once out of the water, the seeds are left to dry in a pit for a few days under the sun, before being roasted in iron woks on clay ovens. Labourers buy the seeds from farms and carry out the roasting. Entire families, including children, are involved in the process.
The seeds are first sieved to eliminate stones. Then they are roasted and left to rest overnight, for up to 15 hours. They are again roasted and once they start to crackle, their outer black shell is popped open using a wooden mallet called a puppy. The resulting white pearly puffs are the foxnuts.
Of every 100 grams of seeds in the wok, only about 80 per cent pop. These are then sold in the market. The lengthy process makes foxnuts a premium product.
“There is hard work although there is also more money,” said Rohit Sahni, 27, another labourer at a makeshift station in Purnea. “We work sitting next to the oven – there is smoke and heat … But we work six months popping fox nuts and make enough money for the year.”
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
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- Professional ethics.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
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MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
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It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
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The specs
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Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
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