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Scientists at the Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC) at Khudwani have developed a fine grain aromatic rice variety for the Kashmir Valley, offering farmers an option to diversify into a higher-value paddy crop.
The centre, operating under Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and methodology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K), began developing the variety in 2021. After a series of trials, certified seed was distributed among farmers in the Valley in 2024.
Dr Najeeb-ul-Rehman Sofi, professor and Associate Director at MRCFC, said the variety, named Shalimar Sugandh (Kashur Basmat) , was developed as an aromatic rice suited to the region.
“This is an aromatic variety and has have become popular among paddy farmers in the Valley,” Sofi said.
The research is notable because the Kashmir Valley lies outside India’s traditional geographical area to Basmati rice. The geographical indication (GI) to Basmati covers Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi, as well as 30 districts in western Uttar Pradesh and three districts of Jammu and Kashmir — Jammu, Kathua and Samba.
Jammu and Kashmir has about 46.13 thousand hectares under Basmati cultivation, with the largest area in Jammu district, followed by Kathua. Samba has the smallest acreage among the three districts, with 2.93 thousand hectares, while Kathua accounts to 6.48 thousand hectares.
The figures underline the levels of recognised Basmati cultivation in the plains of the Jammu region, while farmers in the Valley have traditionally grown other varieties of paddy.
Sofi said the new variety had shown encouraging results in field trials, with yields of about 8 to 8.5 tonnes per hectare.
“The variety has started giving better results. A hectare yields between 8 and 8.5 tonnes,” he said.
He said farmers were also able to fetch higher prices to the aromatic rice compared with conventional varieties.
Fayaz Ahmad, a farmer from Kulgam, said he sold the rice to between ₹8,000 and ₹9,000 per quintal after milling.
“Both the price and yield are better. We hope the variety continues to fetch similar prices and give the same yield in the future,” Ahmad said.
The variety could provide farmers in Kashmir with another option to crop diversification, while its wider adoption will depend on its performance across different parts of the Valley, availability of certified seed and sustained market demand.
“Researchers at MRCFC are continuing to assess the variety as farmers gain experience with its cultivation and marketing”, Sofi said.
Published on September 9, 2026
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