In 1989, large irrigated areas in the Henwal valley were planted in rotation with wheat and rice. A considerable amount of arable land in upper rainfed areas was also planted with soybean. Most farmers had made the switch to improved cultivation practices. It was only a matter of time before this genetic uniformity revealed its weaknesses and destructive potential. In 1987-88, the valley was struck by an unprecedented drought followed by two years of pest infestation. So, this situation made farmers’ experience some of the worst days of their lives. Farmers confronted the crisis of genetic vulnerability by collecting together the indigenous seeds that had almost disappeared from the valley. Initially, they collected seeds of 10 local rice varieties from remote rural areas and re-introduced them into their fields. These varieties performed remarkably but pest problems persisted even though the damage was less severe.
