Aromatic Pusa basmati rice brings new hope

Ajay Ramola 

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, April 3

Gutta Devi, a farmer from Dadoor village in the Chamba block of Tehri Garhwal district, was amused when Chief Agriculture Officer Suresh Singh in May 2015 asked her to grow basmati rice instead of traditional crops.

Gutta Devi was not keen to grow basmati rice in her fields as she had never seen anyone grow it in her village. However, Suresh bought around 30,000 seeds of new variety called Pusa basmati 1509 rice through the district plan budget and assured the then District Magistrate of a successful yield for the first time in the district.

Suresh, who had procured 10 quintals of Pusa basmati seeds, was able to persuade skeptical Gutta Devi to buy 3 kg of seeds and sow these in her fields. Although fearful of the yield, she obliged Suresh Singh and sowed basmati seeds on June 10, 2015. To her pleasant surprise, she was able to grow around 45 quintals of basmati rice per hectare in her more than 10 naali agriculture land in her village.

The aroma of new basmati rice variety attracted farmers in the nearby villages to have a look at the yield, says Gutta Devi. The experiment was replicated in 75 nyay panchayats across the district and the results were heart-warming, as around 1,600 quintals of production was recorded last year, says Suresh.

“My colleague had argued that what would happen if you failed and I had responded that I would bear the cost of the seeds in that case. I was absolutely sure about the success of the new variety,” says Suresh.

The fragrance of the Pusa basmati variety has not only attracted farmers but also cattle, which find husk and straw to their liking, says Vimal Kothari from Hadmatallah village in Dikhol Gaon nayy panchayat of the Chamba Block. Kothari was able to produce around 48 quintals of basmati rice per hectare in his fields last year.

“We have heard of Dun basmati rice that it is sold at an exorbitant price around the world. But we have never tasted it. The Pusa basmati rice, if grown in the district, will give Doon basmati rice a good competition, as it has more fragrance and is easy to cook,” says Suraj Mani, a farmer from Jaspur village in Idian nyay panchayat in the Thauldhar block.

Laxmi Devi from Kumar Dhar village is buoyed at the 40 quintal per hectare yield of Pusa basmati rice. She believes that if cultivated on a regular basis, Pusa basmati rice could bring in prosperity in the whole village in near future as one kilogram of average basmati rice is sold for around Rs 100 per kg.

Farmers were so excited with the 1,600 quintals of basmati rice produced last year that they instead of selling it distributed it in the village due to its popular demand in exchange for other produce. 

The farmers are now keen to take up basmati rice farming on a mass scale in the district provided they are given adequate irrigation facilities, says Suresh.

The farmers are ready to start basmati rice cultivation this year and the Agriculture Department has decided to provide 40 quintals of Pusa basmati rice seeds at 50 per cent concession to them, says Suresh.

Mukesh Raturi, a journalist based in Tehri, says shortage of agriculture land around Dehradun following rapid urbanisation has reduced the production of Doon basmati rice that the Afghans had brought to the town during the British period. In such a case, the basmati rice grown in the district can take its place easily if the government brands and markets it as Tehri basmati and provides adequate support to farmers during droughts and other natural calamities, he adds.

Once high yield is achieved, Tehri basmati rice can be promoted as a unique brand. Rice food festivals can be organised in the district to popularise the brand. Rice can be marketed in hill stations such as Mussoorie and Nainital, says Sandeep Sahni, president of the Uttarakhand Hotel and Restaurant Association. If it happens, the day is not far when we could witness reverse migration and that will augur well for the state, adds Sahni.