HRG innovation of Niche mountain crops with small & marginal ryots 

The onslaught of MNCs and Corporate sectors to seize-over scare and varied agro-climatic resources  and allurement of nine lakh royts to massive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides to increase their yield possing major challenge before this hill state. In terms of soil and water pollution, health and economical survival time demand to switchover a new model of agriculture which could protect farmers, its land holdings, natural resources like waters, healthy and disease resistant seed, food, grain, milk and its products.  Despite having several attempts to persuade ryots toward crop diversification,  organic, scientific and natural farming it seems state intervention could not prove sufficient or protect the economic interests  of a large number of ryots as agriculture is not considered secure livelihood to about 51 lakh population in the state. World Bank, Centre, State, NABARD and APIDA etc are intervening to strengthen agriculture sectors did not yield a tangible results moreover the era of Cooperative movement in Agriculture seemed to over as the sector not consider as sole vocation to run a households in wake of prevailing size of land holdings and economic disparity prevailed among farmers  themselves. Century olds linkages among the producers, market and consumers are being taken over by the cartels and mushrooming middlemen who are exploiting the interest of small and marginal farmers. The question is if there is a niche business which could intervene to stop the decline in the sectors that may prove to be disastrous if not immediately checked. Dr Lal Singh, Director Himalayan Research Group(HRG) a local NGO , has been honoured with the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj award for application of science and Technology for Rural Development in 2021. Dr Singh predicts a new ray of hope to reverse the trend if not avoidable. He said that state and ryots no longer  tiptoe each other to sustain the agro-economy under the challenge and agrarian distress is on the peak . HRG is currently working with the Department of Science & Technology of the Union Government along with other agencies to give an entirely new Agriculture or farmer model to the state and country. It had roped in as many as 4000 small and marginal farmers under a sustainable model of Agriculture and allied activities which pledged not to harm the nature, reduce the dependence of ryots on the pesticides and organic fertilisers, escape them unhurt from the brutal market forces, ensure entitlement of their land holdings with farmers and provide them a certain livelihood round the years. The model was on the initial face but was already working on an extension program targeting six clusters of farmers in Mandi  districts for the last three years. The model is based upon the value chain developed and designed by HRG on the Himalayan or Mountain ethenic or native crops which would provide economic security to the farmers beside it would help to offer quality or nutritional and food material and its products   to the society at large. Dr Lal Singh said that livelihood security and protecting the environment from soil and water pollution angle is the key component of this project which has already started yielding good results. The reliance of farmers for increasing the yield  by massive use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers poses a challenge to the local food chain or ecology needs to intervene by some concrete solution which should be more than diversification of crops .  It should provide a package to farmers with solutions to their each and every problem from sowing till marketing so they no longer get exploited or cheated . The ryots  interested should be protected from the big land sharks who may eye their lands holding beside them to get assured or remunerative prices of their crops. The blind imitation of monoculture by the farmers’ subsequent glut of their products in the markets not only made them economically bankrupt but they may soon lose their collaterals in forms of landholding. Dr Singh said that the only solution for farmers in the state is a sustainable business niche which could survive them on their landholdings but they could restore its fertility with such a crop pattern which could offer the security of livelihood, boost up their economy and increase yield according to control market demand. The HRG model was appreciated by the state and centre and it is being offered liberal  fundings however Dr Lal Singh said that resource mobilization is already in advanced stage and crop rotation is already started in three clusters which is giving good results. They succeeded in sustaining the livelihood of farmers during the worst lock down in Covid pandemic which shows that the model is robust and least dependent upon the present market forces which could not temper with it so easily. The Red Rice is one of the principal crops that is already in cultivation in Junee valley of Himachal Pradesh. HRG is known for its scientific exploration of each crop as from seeds bank to germoplasm to nutrition components of the crops are being studied before it was included in the kitty of crops shortlisted or suggested to farmers of the cluster group. The demands and Price of Red rice is not subjected to its size of yields but the nutritional components and way of  the crop being harvested which add to its value addition chain. Normally paddy is being converted into rice mechanically or manually which degrades its food value. HRG has conducted a minute study to deal with sowing, rearing to harvest in a planned and scientific manner so that food value of corp could be retained as such during its processing and harvesting. HRG is roping in a farmer producer company to handle every aspect of the model so that they could provide a definite livelihood besides involving them in the rest of agro-business. Agriculture is industry need heavy work forces which handle each aspect the crop development and marketing. The model is expected to yield good results as it keeps check on the right from sowing to branding of products. In the next three years six clusters comprising 4000 farmers are targeted to be made functional. The marketing of the niche crops would also be handled by the farmers themselves after three years which would generate more employment avenues to the coming generation. HRG is already working with 500 households in two panchayats of Gohar block of Mandi district where the farmers have been trained in cultivation of targeted traditional crops who were supplied seeds from custodian farmers and CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University Palampur and NBGR Shimla. The farmer multiplied the seeds and started the production of Mountain Grains with market tag line.The nutritional composition of traditional crops would help to give a major improvement in the health condition of consumers as the introduction of such crops in the food basket of consumers would provide the health benefit . Dr Lal Singh said that shift from cash crop to traditional agriculture practice will also benefit in shape of drudgery reduction especially for the woman folk .The model would yield ecological benefits like improve the environmental sustainability social inclusion as cultivation of selected enthenic crops does not involved use of fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides would improve the quality of soil,  Dr Singh said that cultivated crops have better adaptation and resilience capabilities.