Pulwama, March 04: Farmers from Ratnipora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district are finding the fine-grain aromatic paddy, Shalimar Sugandh 1 (SS1), more lucrative than traditional varieties.
Around ten farmers from Ratnipora were provided SS1 seeds during 2024. Among them is Nazir Ahmad Mir, who purchased the seeds to sow across several kanals of his paddy land.
“The first crop was highly productive and yielded more profit compared to traditional varieties,” Nazir said, adding that he harvested four quintals of paddy grains from each kanal cultivated with SS1.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Nazir revealed that he fetched ₹4,000 per quintal for SS1, which, according to him, is double the price of the traditional variety he previously grew. “This season, I will be growing SS1 again, and I encourage other farmers to adopt it,” he said, highlighting that apart from the high price, the rice variety has an appealing aroma.
Another farmer, Abdul Hamid, cultivated SS1 on two kanals of land last year. “It was a satisfying experience, as the yield met my expectations,” he said, urging fellow farmers to grow this variety. Hamid shared that he harvested three quintals of paddy per kanal, which fetched him a decent return.
Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) Kakapora, Syed Tawseef Ahmad, stated that SS1 seeds were provided to their office by SKUAST-K’s Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC) Khudwani, Kulgam. These seeds were distributed among ten farmers in a compact area of Ratnipora.
“The farmers successfully harvested their crop, with each kanal yielding around 3.8 quintals of grains,” he said, adding that demand for SS1 seeds from Ratnipora has surged for the upcoming paddy season.
“We have received requests from 50 farmers,” he added, emphasizing that they are eager to expand cultivation, provided they receive a sufficient quantity of seeds.
