A two-day district-level seminar on ‘Garlic Seed Production and Value Addition for Enhancing Farmers’ Income in District Sirmaur’ held on June 19 2025, at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni. The event is being hosted by the Department of Seed Science and Technology under the centrally sponsored MIDH scheme on spices, with support from the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Calicut (Kerala), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Around 100 progressive garlic farmers from across Sirmaur are attending the seminar.
In his welcome address, Dr. Narender Bharat, Head of the Department, shared that the project has been active in Himachal Pradesh since 2015-16. The initiative aims to promote the commercial cultivation of spices such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and fenugreek through on-farm demonstrations, seed production, technology transfer, natural farming practices, and development of seed storage infrastructure. As part of its outreach, the department conducts four Panchayat-level training programmes and one district-level seminar annually.
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.
Director of Research Dr. Sanjeev Chauhan emphasized the need for adopting modern scientific practices to improve the quality and productivity of garlic. He advocated reducing input costs to increase farmers’ profitability and underlined the role of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in ensuring better market access and collective bargaining for farmers.
Based on farmer demand, key topics such as seed production, germplasm conservation, plant protection and value addition will be discussed during the seminar. The Department of Food Science and Technology will also conduct hands-on demonstrations for preparing various value-added garlic products.
In addition, an exhibition-cum-competition of local garlic varieties is also being organised for the participating farmers. Prizes will be awarded to promote the conservation and use of indigenous cultivars.
