Lok Sabha Question No. 208 (STARRED), answered on 2019-12-03
Subject: Buckwheat Crop
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, DNV Senthilkumar. S.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 208

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE   3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019

## BUCKWHEAT CROP

*208.     DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE: DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S.:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of the States in which buckwheat is grown along with the total area in which it is grown;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that buckwheat is a good food, a relatively low input crop that has comparatively high yields even on marginal soil and also has medicinal value;
- (c) if so, the steps taken by the Government to encourage farmers to grow buckwheat;
- (d) whether the attention of the Government has been drawn to a recent international symposium on buckwheat held in the country; and
- (e) if so, whether the Government has taken note of the discussions in the symposium and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to intensify  the  use  of  buckwheat  grains  as  a  food  crop  so  as  to  diversify  the  nutritional basket?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 208   DUE FOR REPLY ON 3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019.

- (a): Buckwheat  is  grown  in  the  hilly  regions  of  the  States  of  Uttarakhand,  Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and in the Nilgiris & Palani Hills.  The estimated area under buckwheat is around 25,800 hectares.
- (b) & (c): From  the  nutritional  perspective,  buckwheat  is  an  excellent  source  of  high quality protein and dietary fibre with rich micronutrient density.  Buckwheat has nutraceutical properties of nutritional and medicinal importance.  Buckwheat is considered as a low input crop  and  can  be  grown  in  marginal,  infertile,  rocky  and  poorly  tilled  lands.    In  order  to encourage the farmers to grow buckwheat, Government of India is providing assistance to the farmers through implementation of the programmes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)  and  Mission  on  Organic  Value  Chain  Development  for  North  Eastern  Region (MOVCDNER).    The  States  may  also  seek  assistance  for  encouraging  the  production  of buckwheat through Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

(d) & (e): The Government is aware of the 14 th International Symposium on Buckwheat for 'Diversifying Food Systems for Health and Nutritional Security' organized by International Buckwheat Research Association (IBRA) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at North Eastern Hill University, Shillong From September 3-6, 2019.  In order to intensify the use of buckwheat, ICAR-All India Co-ordinated Research Network on potential Crops has developed nutritionally rich five varieties and are promoted by ICAR and respective State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) through front line demonstrations, trainings and kisan melas for encouraging farmers to grow buckwheat.

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