U’khand’s traditional crops under threat due to climate change, migration: Trivendra

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haridwar

The Haridwar MP and former chief minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of threat faced by the traditional crops of the mountainous areas due to climate change, migration and commercial farming on Wednesday.

He sought information from the Central Government whether it is doing to conserve, revive and market these crops.

He wanted to know whether the Centre was aware that many hill crops are on the verge of extinction due to climate change and migration. “What actions have ICAR and the National Gene Bank taken to conserve and reintroduce such varieties? Is there a special programme proposed to promote nutrient-rich yet endangered crops? And what steps will the government take to revive these crops through seed banks, processing facilities and market access?” he asked.

In response, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, in his written reply, informed that ICAR and the National Gene Bank have conserved, documented and reintroduced 100,086 extinct or endangered varieties. These include 85,587 landraces and 14,499 traditional cultivars. The Minister further stated that the Centre is actively promoting the conservation and propagation of nutrient-rich millets, pseudo cereals and medicinal plants, adding that  the ‘International Year of Millets 2023’ has significantly accelerated awareness and research on these crops. He said that special FPOs, market linkages and dedicated markets are being developed for organic produce from mountainous regions.

Rawat said that the traditional crops of Uttarakhand and the entire Himalayan region are not just the foundation of agriculture but also of its cultural heritage, nutritional security and local biodiversity. “Their rapid disappearance due to climate change is a matter of serious concern. Further strengthening conservation, seed banking, processing and marketing support is the need of the hour,” he stressed.

While appreciating the conservation efforts being made by the Centre, he said that more comprehensive programmes should be launched to mainstream millets, pseudo-cereals and medicinal crops to help the mountain agriculture get a new direction and new opportunities.