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Kinnaur’s ‘kala jeera’ cultivators win genome saviour community award
The prize, given by “Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority” under the Union agriculture ministry, carries a ₹10 lakh cash reward and a citation
Farmers from Shang village in Kinnaur district have won prestigious “Plant Genome Saviour Community Award” for the year 2021-22 for cultivating kala jeera (black cumin), vice-chancellor of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh University (HPAU), Palampur, HK Chaudhary said on Thursday.
The prize, given by “Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority” under the Union agriculture ministry, carries a ₹10 lakh cash reward and a citation.
The V-C said the varsity had taken the initiative enabling farmers to form the “Kala Jeera Utpadan Sangh” and applied for this community award in June last year.
The award will be presented to KZUS in a ceremony to be hosted by the Union agriculture ministry on September 12 in New Delhi, added Chaudhary.
The V-C said that HPAU’s research centre at Sangla in Kinnaur has been designated as “Model Farm” on kala jeera and saffron and it is working for scientific cultivation, improvement and popularisation of the variety as a medicinal crop.
Known for its unique fragrance, kala jeera earlier grew in wild, has been domesticated and is currently under cultivation in an area of about 47 hectares in Shong village.
This crop has culinary, perfumery, carminative and medicinal values as stimulant, expectorant, antispasmodic and diuretic properties, said Chaudhary.
Essential oils, including terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and polyenes are found in black cumin seeds and possess antioxidative, antifungal and antibacterial attributes.
It has premium price in the market and stands as an example of the “Vocal for local” movement. Collection of immature seeds from forest areas and unsustainable and unscientific exploitation of the spice has resulted in reduction of its natural populations and has made it a plant of special conservation in north-western Himalayas.
The V-C appreciated the team of scientists comprising of VK Sood, Nimit Kumar and Shailja Sharma who did the ground work and filed nomination for the award. He added that Kinnaur’s kala jeera got geographical indication tag back in 2019.
