Garlic Processing and Value Addition Key to Enhancing Farmers’ Income in Sirmaur

Solan, June 19

A two-day district-level seminar on ‘Garlic Seed Production and Value Addition for Enhancing Farmers’ Income in District Sirmaur’ commenced today at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni. The event is being organized by the Department of Seed Science and Technology under the centrally sponsored MIDH scheme on spices, supported by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Calicut (Kerala), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI. Around 100 progressive garlic growers from across Sirmaur are participating in the seminar.

Welcoming the participants, Dr. Narender Bharat, Head of the Department, informed that the department has been implementing the project in Himachal since 2015-16. The initiative promotes commercial cultivation of spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and fenugreek through on-farm demonstrations, seed production, technology transfer, natural farming practices, and infrastructure development for seed storage. As part of the technology transfer efforts, the department organizes four Panchayat-level training programmes and one district-level seminar every year.

Highlighting the growing interest in garlic farming, Dr. Bharat shared that the area under garlic cultivation in Sirmaur has expanded from 1,500 hectares in 2015-16 to around 4,000 hectares in 2024, with annual production reaching 60,000 Metric Tonne. However, he noted that as per estimates, nearly Rs 60 crore is spent annually in Sirmaur for procuring garlic seeds from other states, particularly Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Guest Professor Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice Chancellor of the University, underscored the historical significance of spices in Indian culture. He reiterated that spice cultivation, especially garlic, which has been declared as the ‘One District, One Crop’ for Sirmaur, offers a promising pathway to boost farmers’ income in the district. Highlighting the issues of market glut and falling prices, he called upon scientists to equip farmers with skills in food processing and value addition.

Prof. Chandel urged farmers to collaborate with the university for local seed production of garlic to reduce dependence on external sources and create entrepreneurial opportunities for youth. He also encouraged university researchers to explore garlic oil extraction and pharmaceutical industry needs to further enhance farm income. He stressed the need to study the use of radiation technology to improve garlic’s shelf life, disease resistance, and reduce unwanted sprouting.