Asafoetida farming in HP: Agri scientist on warpath after denied credit
Asafoetida farming in HP: Agri scientist on warpath after denied credit
Shimla
Dr Vikram Sharma, an agri-scientist who introduced coffee farming in Himachal Pradesh in 2001, is on the warpath to seek his due on the introduction of asafoetida farming in the state.
It was in 2016-17 that Sharma, a former director of Coffee Board of India, after thorough research concluded that higher reaches of the state were suitable for the most sought-after spice in India.
Sharma had met IHBT Palampur director Sanjay Kumar in 2018 and had reportedly offered asafoetida seeds so that the spice could be propagated and cultivated in Himachal.
In fact, the then State Agriculture Minister Ramlal Markanda had invited him during the distribution of heeng seeds to farmers in Lahaul Spiti district.
Talking to The Community News, Sharma said recently Kumar gave an interview to a news channel that didn’t mention his contribution to the introduction of the cash crop in the state.
“I will soon hold press conferences in Shimla and Delhi along with evidence to show that I was the one who first propagated the spice cultivation.
It is wrong to deny me credit for I have selflessly worked to propagate cultivation of cash crops in the state to improve the economy of farmers,” he added.
Several other high-altitude regions in Himachal, including Lahaul Spiti, Janjehli in Mandi district, Tissa in Chamba district and Kinnaur district, are considered suitable for the farming of asafoetida.
Asafoetida, commonly known as “heeng,” is used both in spices and medicines in India.
It is a crop of international value and experiences high demand in the pharmaceutical sector. The asafoetida plant is self-pollinating and is native to higher altitude regions or cold deserts.
The harvesting of the crop typically takes place between August and October.
The process of extracting asafoetida involves making a careful cut on the rhizome part of the plant’s root once the stem is uprooted.
The milky substance that oozes out of the rhizome is collected and stored in plastic containers. Subsequently, this milky substance is sun-dried, either by farmers or companies specializing in asafoetida.
Currently, India consumes 40 percent of the global production of asafoetida.
The potential for cultivating this valuable crop in various high-altitude regions of Himachal not only contributes to local agricultural diversity.
But it also addresses the demand for this important ingredient in both culinary and medicinal contexts.
The expansion of asafoetida farming could have economic and employment-related benefits for the state while meeting domestic and international demand.
