Farmers of the Rohru subdivision in Shimla district will receive the prestigious Plant Genome Saviour Award carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh for their contribution in developing red rice, a rare variety of paddy grown in Himachal Pradesh, said Prof HK Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor of CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture University here today.
The VC said university scientists had gathered all data and helped the farmers growing red rice register the traditional variety Chhohartu with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority (PPVFRA) eight years ago. The researchers, in the past one year, helped the farmers pursue the matter again with renewed efforts to conserve, develop, popularise and further spread the rice variety, bringing laurels to the state. The university had even helped the farmers form a Society as the award is given to societies only.
Chaudhary said the award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a memento, would be presented to the farmers society on November 11 by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is the countrys highest award for farmers, in recognition of their contribution to conserving and developing plant varieties.
A couple of years ago, the university scientists had helped farmers of Bhedal panchayat in Chamba district get the Plant Genome Saviour Community Award-2019 for conserving land races of maize Haachi (white), Retti (red) and chitkuri (popcorn).
Red rice is under cultivation in about 1,000 hectares in villages of Rohru subdivision.
The excess water having thick consistency, decanted after cooking the red rice, is considered healthy for expecting mothers.