Beyond Rice & Maize: Random Thought of a Struggling Researcher



As we begin the journey of NUS, we look forward to a day when we can proudly say “Neglected No More: Traditional Crops for Sustainable Livelihoods” 


“Enhancing crop productivity and ensuring food self-sufficiency and food security has been tied along with every one of us related to agriculture. I always associated achieving rice and maize self-sufficiency to food self-sufficiency which was too specific when I chew back now. We have eaten enough share of rice and maize now. Having tagged myself as an agriculturalist, it’s awkward to have such a thought. It is time now we think beyond rice and maize. There are other cereals which are in the verge of vanishing from the locality. Our neglected and underutilized crops should be given some importance. Thanks to FAO for coming up with such a project to rediscover those forgotten crops and how fortunate we are to be a part of it.
Despite being an agrarian country with diverse cereal varieties, somehow, in the rush of enhancing productivity and self-sufficiency of staple crops and promoting high yielding and improved varieties  we have overlooked some of our cereals.
It had been almost ten days interacting with people here in Eastern part of the country carrying out an inception meeting and baseline survey on Neglected and underutilized Crop species. Having shared the importance on conservation of the neglected crops, hopefully this project will make a difference to our orphaned crops. The stories, experiences and views from various farmers on those crops were exciting and refreshing.
We are fortunate that there are still few farmers who believes in cultivating those crops. 
This elderly  man stands proud growing our neglected crop millet. Never  for a moment he had ever thought of discontinuing  this crop.  He still feels that some day in future, people who have abandon  them will need to go back to it. How lucky we are to encounter such enthusiastic  people who were so much into preserving our traditional crops.

TO BE CONTINUED.......

Ap Sonam and Mr. Wangdi
Two different types of foxtail millet

Little millet: Chaerra

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