Some crops help prevent village migration. These crops and a simple agriculture strategy are shared in this post which may help in preventing the village migration problem in Uttarakhand.
Farming in Uttarakhand is collapsing day by day. The government needs to edit their strategy and encourage youngsters who are leaving villages in search of a job.
Giving them some money for land is not the solution, it is making them lazy and they are not growing any crop on the farm which they are growing earlier.
Crops helpful in preventing village migration problem in Uttarakhand
Some crops easily grow in Uttarakhand climate conditions. Some of them are not eaten by animals and some can be protected from them in indoor farming. Some costly trees are also mentioned that can be grown along with the crops.
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle is well known as kandali plant, bichhu grass and kanai in Uttarakhand. It is a hidden crop treated as a waste jungle grass. Actually people do not count it in crops and treat it as jungle grass.
Stinging nettle hair contains histamine and some chemicals that are painful when touched by naked hands or body parts. Therefore eaten by a few animals so the animal damage problem is less in this case.
At the moment no one or very few farmers are doing its cultivation. Kandali plants are used in making fibres, medicine, food, tea, and clothes. Clothes have been created for 2000 years. Due to multiple uses, stinging nettle in the United States, United Kingdom and other European countries are cultivated by many farmers.
Its cultivation is done in America, European countries and in Asia. Stinging nettle cultivation in India is not yet recognised. Uttarakhand has the opportunity to start its cultivation and catch the early bird benefits.
Lingdi vegetable
Lingdi vegetable is yet another hidden crop that has demand but is treated as a jungle vegetable only. Lingdi vegetable in English is called fiddlehead fern. They grow naturally in the Uttarakhand villages but no one is taking advantage and farmers are not doing their cultivation commercially.
Hemp farming
Hemp is another crop that grows easily in Uttarakhand villages. Some farmers have started hemp cultivation in Uttarakhand but still more farmers are not doing its cultivation due to lack of knowledge and it might be a difficult application process.
Farmers need a hemp licence to start its farming. It grows within 3 months and doesn’t need any fertilizer. Hemp makes the land fertile for another crop. After harvesting hemp another crop can be grown immediately in the fertile land.
Good thing is it can be grown in a barren land as well so if you have waste lands in your village you can easily grow hemp on them. Hemp is used in making fibres, clothes, sanitary pads, shoes, bags, tissue papers etc.
Mushroom farming in Uttarakhand
Mushroom girl Divya Rawat has proved that this crop easily grows in the Uttarakhand atmosphere. Today everybody wants to join Divya Rawat Mushroom Training Centre. All people can’t afford Divya Rawat mushroom training fees; such people can join government mushroom training centres near them.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is a government centre designed to help and give training to small and marginal farmers for various farming including mushroom cultivation. These centres are available in most states of India.
The cultivation is done in a single room which ends the animal damage problem. It needs a specific temperature for that you need to invest some money in buying cooling fans etc. If living in Uttarakhand villages near hills no need to arrange fans due to the suitable temperature for mushrooms.
Oyster, button, keedajadi are some mushroom types. Mushrooms are consumed as food and highly demanded in marriage and functions. Due to low supply and high demand, its price is high throughout the year. So it’s good to start cultivation in India and Uttarakhand.
Grow expensive trees
Mahogany trees, sandalwood, teak and poplar trees are some trees that can be grown all over Uttarakhand. Plant trees in the boundaries or the whole farm. Mahogany trees grow easily in any soil, temperature and climate conditions. They get ready for harvesting after 8 to 12 years.
Sandalwood trees can be grown in Uttarakhand and some farmers are doing its cultivation but most farmers are still confused. People are confused because they think they need government permission to sell the wood in the local market.
People think permission is required to start its cultivation which is a myth. Permission is only needed for selling it to foreign companies or to export it out of India.
Government strategy
The government should make a policy to export crops in the international market. Minimum selling price encourages farmers to grow a good number of crops. Organic crop supply to the international market will boost farming in Uttarakhand. Most crops and vegetables are grown organically in the villages.
Conclusion
Some vegetables grow well in Uttarakhand and are found in fewer places therefore providing a farming business opportunity. Planting some valuable trees at farm boundaries is worth it. Uttarakhand hill migration can be prevented if these vegetables and trees are growing commercially. The government’s role would be crucial to encourage farmers for such cultivation. Those vegetables and some expensive trees are explained in this blog post.
