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Gone grain: Doon Basmati may soon be dead -Shivani Azad
-The Times of India

DEHRUDUN: The rich aroma and distinct taste of the Dehradooni basmati may be a thing of the past as early as the next couple of years. The grain, which made the term 'basmati' synonymous with good quality rice, is being edged out by other hybrid varieties as well as rapid urbanization which has shrunk the fields where it is grown. Confirming that the Dehradooni basmati, known as Type 3 or T3 among farmers, is fast losing its sheen, Amit Shrivastava from the Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board said, "Local farmers are now opting for hybrid basmati instead of Dehradooni basmati. The rice is not much in demand in the export market either due to its small size. A typical T3 grain is about 6.8mm whereas the size of a hybrid variety starts from 7.2mm."

A crucial factor in T3's decline is the huge difference in its yield vis-a-vis the hybrid varieties. "In one bigha, only a quintal of rice is obtained from T3 whereas the hybrid basmati produces five to six quintals. Moreover, T3 takes a lot of time -- between 120 to 150 days - to be ready while hybrid rice is ripe within 90 days," said Husan Deep, a farmer from Majhra, which used to have vast tracts of land devoted to T3 cultivation. Most fields in the area now grow hybrid rice.

Another factor is cost. A kg of Dehradooni basmati is available from Rs 82 onwards whereas the price of hybrid rice starts from Rs 45. "Unfortunately, people are going by the looks of the rice and not by taste. It's show business even in food," said Husan Deep.

Experts from the state agriculture department say that rapid urbanisation has taken its toll on the Dehradooni basmati. "T3 develops its aroma when the paddy flowers in a temperature less than 20 degrees Celsius - like in J & K and north Pakistan. But the water in Dehradun has become polluted and temperatures have soared due to rising population. Even the soil, which had a lot of sand, has become hard. All these factors are unfavourable for T3 production," said an expert from the department.

Farmers add another crucial factor - patience - which is necessary to grow good rice and which is missing among the new generation of cultivators. Gyan Singh Panwar, who has been farming T3 basmati in the Tilwadi area since the last 45 years, says that impatience to get a good yield in the shortest possible time is preventing farmers from growing T3, which needs careful nurturing. "The new generation of farmers doesn't take paddy threshing techniques very seriously. This is an important aspect of good rice cultivation. Hence, most farmers are unable to grow T3."

Om Prakash Bijlwan, owner of over 100 bighas of farming land in Bamanpura, Vikas Nagar, blames the government for failing to provide T3 seeds to the farmers on time. "In Dehradun, paddy saplings are sown 15 days after Vikas Nagar, and in Kalsi, saplings are sown another 15 days later. Officials at the agricultural block office are unable to understand the time variation, which affects our production."

Fading fast

Areas like Mehuwala, Mojhoon, Dudhai Tilwadi and the stretches between Shimla bypass to Canal road and Ajabpur to Rispana pool had splendid fields of T3 once upon a time. Many of these places are now concrete jungles where colonies have come up

T3 cultivation is now limited to only a few bighas of land in Sahaspur, Vikas Nagar, Sorna Dhobri, Kesarwala and some parts of Shimla Bypass.