Jammu, Sept 1: In what is aimed at boosting the basmati production in J&K, government has decided to constitute a Special Technology Mission (STM) to broad base research and find field implements.
 The proposed mission would focus on the research by a special team of scientists for developing high yield varieties of seeds and suggest field implements that could help increase the production of exotic rice variety in the potential areas.
 Officials said that considering the brewing resentment among the farmers about the falling standards of exotic rice variety in absence of an effective policy, the government has decided to give more stress on the research and development.
 As per the official data five basmati rice varieties are cultivated in J&K namely Ranbir, Sanwal, Pussa-2511, hybrid PHB-71, and Basmati-370. However, following steep decline in the production due to the spread of various diseases and alleged indifference of the agricultural universities, the government has decided to create a special mission for the purpose.
 “STM will help in improving the existing varieties being sown in the state and emphasis would be laid on increase the production,” said minister for Medical and Technical Education, R. S. Chib, who recently took stock of the basmati production areas in the Jammu region.
 Chib said given its huge export potential the basmati cultivation has already been declared as priority sector by the government and this special mission will help to give further boost to the efforts of the state.
 As per the official data, the total area under Basmati rice cultivation was 31.99 thousand hectares in 2007-08, including around 26000 hectares in Jammu, 2500 hectares in Samba and 3250 hectares in Kathua and the production of rice in this cultivated land was 86.79 metric tons in 2007-08, but majority of the farmers say that most of the seed varieties provided by the government are of poor quality which has decreased the per hectare output of the rice variety.
 It is pertinent to mention here that Basmati rice is cultivated only in the Jammu province of the state and thousands of farmers are dependent on this sector.

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