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Journalism of Courage
In the heart of a cold, barren desert, life has begun to blossom. The remote valley of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, known for its meagre potato and barley production till about 10 years ago, has undergone an unexpected change. The unlikely agent of change is the humble pea, which has fought adverse, hostile climatic conditions to trigger, what some would say, a green revolution.
8220;Peas are less perishable than potatoes and take 10-15 days to reach the markets from Spiti,8221; says J.C. Rana, state8217;s agriculture director. The biggest markets are in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with Solan in Himachal being a major centre for supplies.
Little wonder then that from 1,200 hectares producing less than 11,000 tonnes of peas in 1995-96, the area has gone up to 3,890 hectares in the Lahaul-Spiti district, of which nearly 2,040 hectares in Spiti produce 23,000 tonnes of peas annually, contributing to the total 45,000 tonnes peas produced in the district.
This despite the fact that Lahaul, with its 1,850 hectares under pea cultivation, has better connectivity than Spiti. Similarly, while the adjoining Kinnaur district8212;which has 1,800 hectares of land under pea cultivation8212;started with peas before Spiti, the growth in Spiti has almost doubled. Pangi valley, another landlocked tribal area in the Spiti zone, is replicating the pea success story. Besides, more than 200 hectares, earlier under potato or barley cultivation, is set to produce peas soon.
The high-yield, better-paying peas have so enamoured the farmers that they are being produced despite both climatic and geographical handicaps. While the working season is restricted to barely five months, the region also faces problems like lack of irrigation and infrastructure and frequent spells of droughts.
8220;The green pea cultivation at such a height 12,000-14,400 ft is a significant change that the tribal belt is witnessing,8221; says state8217;s tribal commissioner Subash Negi. 8220;The peas produced here are of very high quality mainly because the farmers don8217;t use any fertilisers or pesticides.8221;
Negi feels that Spiti has the potential of being developed as a seed bowl of the country. Even the climatic conditions would be ideal, say the scientists. The Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University in Palampur has already set up its research station at Kaza and done preliminary research in new crop varieties that can be grown in the valley. 8220;If people are provided irrigation facilities, Spiti, with a population of only 10,000, could have the highest per capita income in the country in 10 years,8221; says Ragubhir Singh, the local MLA.
