Need pvt investors in Ladakh to grow special food for troops: DRDO

Nagpur: A Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) stall may seem a bit out of place at the Agrovision Expo, which is primarily focussed at farmers. On display are some bottles of juices, sachets and small boxes with a flaky material inside. Some of it is not meant for common use. “We are one of the labs of DRDO and carry out research in preparing special foods for the needs of troops deployed in cold and high altitude areas like Ladakh,” explains an official.
None of the produce on display can be grown in the hot and dry climate of Vidarbha. However, what the lab is looking for are investors who can take up cultivation in Ladakh, where it is based. They are looking for private investors who can tie-up with local farmers and grow that is called DRDO’s ‘superfood’.
The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) is a DRDO lab based at Leh. It has developed food that can not only take care of the special needs of the troops in such areas but can also be enough even if taken in small quantities. After successful development in the labs, the crops need to be grown on a mass scale, for which private investment is needed.
DRDO along with the Ladakh Automous Hill Development Council is looking for private players who can be from throughout the country, say Anand Katiyar, senior scientist of DIHAR. The crops would be grown in partnership with the locals.
The land has to be leased from locals, which can be facilitated by DIHAR and also some NGOs engaged in the activity, said technical officer Manoj Patel. The private investor will have to pump in the initial amount required for setting up a green house or an orchard. In turn, the DRDO lab will help in getting the produce sold, with the Army being the assured buyer. It is supplied through its internal system and sometimes soldiers also individually purchase the foods. Some of the items have been made open to civilians too, he says.
The latest product that has been established are red and black goji berries. The red goji berry is not grown in India but its cultivation has now been made possible by DIHAR. The black berry is found only in Nubra valley of Ladakh. Two or three fruits of it are enough to act as antioxidants and save the body from complications of the high altitude areas like ultra violet radiation. Now, orchards of the berries need to be set up.
There are other items, like micro-grains and sea buck thorn, which when taken even in small quantities can take care of certain nutrition requirement of the human body for a day, he said. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be grown in the green houses developed by DIHAR. The arrangement has been there over three years, however, it is yet to get the required response due to which DIHAR is pushing it in other parts of the country.