The Nitra region has been known for more than a century by mining activity. Besides brown coal, there are other treasures hidden in the underground there - geothermal and mining water. Thanks to them the miners started to farm and fish. Products with mining attributes have been brought to our shops as well as school meals.

In the 1990s, there was talk of the decline of mining, and some mining sections were closed. This is the beginning of the first non-traditional mining activity - growing of uric acid. In the damp and warm subterranean base of the New Year's Eve, she has been doing it for over 20 years. "We were thinking about how to make good use of abandoned mining corridors. First it was an experiment. We tested whether the medium was good for mushroom growing. Attempts have confirmed that cash conditions, with temperature, humidity and ventilation, are approaching the optimum, "explains Hornonitriansky banner spokesman Adriana Sivakova. There are about 20,000 kilograms of this mushroom annually. Part of the production goes to the shops, but also to restaurants or school meals in the Prievidz region.

The miners, however, did not just stay in the hive. In mid-December 2010, they planted their first tomatoes in greenhouses. According to Adriana Sivakova, they place particular emphasis on their organic cultivation, so that they are always mature, fresh and thus tasty. It is also appreciated by consumers, the whole production ending in the domestic market. "We grow about 1,500,000 kg of tomatoes in two greenhouses, which is why we became the second largest producer in Slovakia", added Siváková.

Last time the miners fought for fish breeding, specifically the African catfish. They used mineral water at a temperature of 16 - 18 ° C, which had run free from the portal of old and new mine Handlová. Fish breeding, with an annual capacity of 1000 tons, is the most powerful in the European Union according to Sivak. Although world fish consumption is recording a record level, consumption per capita in Slovakia is long-term low. "It seems that the quality freshwater fish - an African catfish - did not show up enough for Slovak consumers," Sivakova says. African catfish meat is good at this time, it does not have intramuscular bones or significant fish smell. At the same time, it is rich in protein and health benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Author: baš