Agricultural Renaissance in the Hills: Farmers Embrace Red Rice and Advanced Techniques

Satya Path News | Almora

Under the guidance of Dr. Lakshmikant, Director of ICAR–Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, the 12th day of the “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan” witnessed significant outreach efforts across the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. Three teams of agricultural scientists visited 20 villages in the development blocks of Tadiyakhait, Bhikiyasain, and Takula, interacting with a total of 362 farmers.

The initiative aimed to gather insights into local agricultural challenges while promoting awareness of scientific farming practices, allied sectors, and government schemes available to support rural farming communities. In a notable case, farmer Mr. Jodha Singh from Jaitha village (Bhikiyasain block) shared his innovation in turmeric cultivation. He explained how spraying neem oil along field boundaries helps protect crops from wild animals—a method that has shown promising results and inspired fellow farmers.

During the farmer meetings, experts introduced a variety of topics including pest control (particularly for whitefly and root grubs), the use of light traps and yellow sticky traps, advanced techniques in the cultivation of millets, chillies, turmeric, amaranth, horse gram, and vegetables, as well as the effective use of modern farm tools. The sessions also addressed key problems reported by farmers such as crop loss due to wild animals, lack of water storage facilities, seed unavailability, and poor seed germination.

To combat pest issues, the teams recommended the use of WGBSB2 for grub control and encouraged large-scale soil testing to enhance productivity. One of the campaign’s highlights was the keen interest expressed by local farmers in cultivating red rice, known for its high nutritional value and market demand. Scientists advocated for expanding red rice cultivation as a potential high-income alternative for hilly farmers.

Farmers suggested organizing such campaigns ahead of the Kharif season to maximize participation and impact. They also voiced the need for better access to quality seeds and water resources, as well as local labor support.

Agricultural and allied department representatives, village leaders, and a large number of farmers actively participated in the program. This initiative is being hailed as a transformative step in ushering sustainable agricultural development in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.