Utilising agro-ecology and traditional crop diversity into economic sustainability: A study of Uttarakhand State of Indian Himalaya

Uttarakhand is an Indian mountain state, spread over 53,485 square kilometres.  With a population of about 8.4 million (2001 census), 74 percent live in 15,024 villages. Agriculture is the mainstay of this rural population. The formidable obstacles to agricultural development include a scarcity of arable land and scanty irrigation.   The government owns 66 percent of the land which is under forest.  The net sown area (excluding Nagar and Hardwar districts, which are plains areas) is about 13 percent of the total reported area. This mountain region has diverse agro-climatic features, including a flat area called tarai, mid mountain and high land nearing the snow line. Though the mountainous tacts of the state are food deficient, there is a good repository of diversified agricultural traditions and products. Basmati rice of the Doon Valley, Ogal-Phapahar (Buckwheat), mandua (Finger millet) jhangora (Foxtail millet) and a variety of traditional legumes are grown in the high mountains that are unique to the region.