Uttarakhand’s traditional Mandua (Ragi) variety Jhumkiya Mandua has been granted formal protection as a farmer variety by Plant Variety and Farmers' Rights Protection Authority (PPV&FRA), New Delhi. The registration, made official on March 27, 2025, is being seen as a crucial step in safeguarding the state’s agricultural heritage at a time when traditional crops are under threat from climate change and modern farming practices.
The recognition of Jhumkiya Mandua was made possible through the efforts of farmer Bhupendra Joshi from Gali Basyura village in Almora, who, along with the NGO Lok Chetna Manch, Ranikhet, worked towards preserving and registering the crop.
This millet variety, with an average maturity period of about 115 days, thrives best in rainfed, medium-fertility soils found in the hilly terrains of Uttarakhand. Its seeds are distinct, copper-brown in color with a rough texture, while its unique traits such as branching, multi-level finger arrangement, and semi-dense ear structure set it apart from other millet varieties.
Several institutions and individuals have played a key role in conserving Jhumkiya Mandua at the national level, including Dr. Laxmi Kant, Director of ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, senior scientist Anuradha Bhartiya, and Lok Chetna Manch president Jogendra Bisht, along with Pankaj Chauhan. Their collective efforts ensured that the crop received official recognition, offering farmers both dignity and legal rights.
With the registration, farmers cultivating Jhumkiya Mandua will enjoy full rights over its production and marketing. Importantly, if the variety is ever used in developing new crop strains, farmers will also be entitled to profit-sharing and compensation under the provisions of the PPV&FRA Act.
This recognition not only ensures crop protection but also acknowledges the traditional knowledge and tireless efforts of mountain farmers who have preserved biodiversity for generations.
