An agricultural engineer is transforming underappreciated products into flours and other food items, an initiative aimed at better highlighting their nutritional potential.
Narindra Andriamanamamonjy, an agricultural engineer and specialist in the agri-food industry, runs an artisanal business that focuses on valorizing overlooked products. She utilizes the entire pumpkin: she dries the leaves, turns the flesh into flour, and processes the seeds for consumption, suggesting they be mixed with yogurt, drinks, or cooked dishes. She also processes chayote, another vegetable that is not widely appreciated, into flour. Furthermore, she transforms fruits such as persimmons, strawberries, and cactus leaves into fruit leather, a 100% fruit-based alternative to candy.
“These products that people overlook contain significant nutritional value. Pumpkin, for example, has an extremely high vitamin A content,” she explained during the Agronomy Fair held at the Higher School of Agronomic Sciences of the University of Antananarivo from September 14 to 18. For her, these products deserve to be promoted.
“They could be a real lever in the fight against malnutrition. The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds, for instance, is largely unknown, even though their protein content can reach up to 30%, a major asset in the face of the high malnutrition rate in Madagascar. They also possess real therapeutic virtues thanks to their high zinc and magnesium content,” she asserts.
For now, these products have not yet gained significant popularity. “A lot of awareness-raising work remains to be done among consumers, who in Madagascar remain attached to fresh produce,” says Narindra Andriamanamamonjy.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-19 05:53:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/commerce-une-agronome-valorise-les.html
