latin American country Peru has expressed its desire to import Basmati crop technology and Asian buffaloes from Uttarakhand in return for providing similar technology for cultivating its protein rich Quinoa and rearing camel family breeds Alpaca and Vicuna for wool in Uttarakhand. This was claimed by Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj and State tourism minister Amrita Rawat while talking to the media person in Dehradun on Tuesday.
Uttarakhand Government has inked a tourism promotion cum horticulture research agreement with Peru. State Government will have intergovernmental interaction of scientific communities from both the countries in order to boost horticulture and wool production in the State.According to Maharaj Peru president will visit Uttarakhand in January to explore the possibilities and economic opportunities here. The MoU for tourism promotion was signed between the Uttarakhand tourism minister Amrita Rawat and Peru president Carlos Canales in the presence of vice president of India Mohammed Hamid Ansari in their recent visit to Peru. As per agreement tourism officials and other related agencies of the Peru will visit the State to study tourism activities and further possibilities of promotional chances here.Besides this Uttarakhand will also import seeds of Peru’s native protein rich high altitude cereal crop Quinoa to cultivate it here. According to Rawat and Maharaj besides rich in protein Quinoa is also important for its good cash returns as farmers in Peru and Bolivia have immensely improved their economy through this crop.
UNO has also declared 2013 as year of Quinoa.“Besides tourism promotion agreement with Peru Uttarakhand will also send a delegation of agriculture scientists from Pantanagar University to study Quinoa crop in Peru. We will provide them technology for growing Basmati rice in return for importing Quinoa seeds” informed Maharaj. Pauri MP informed that Alpaca, llama and Vicuna breeds of camel family will also be imported to the State in coming days.“There is high possibility of rearing these animals in high hills of Uttarakhand for their wool qualities. If done as intended it will lead to economic revolution in the State specially for hill farmers” said Maharaj.