HP peas popular in Japan, Hong Kong

The peas grown in a remote valley in Himachal Pradesh has found popularity in markets in Japan and Honk Kong and fetching huge returns.

Some 600 metric tonnes of sandy snow peas from Himachal and Punjab fetched eight times the price in Japan and Hong Kong, said officials of the company promoting its cultivation here.

The company, Ludhiana-based Namdhari, has taken the initiative in distributing the sandy snow variety of peas free to farmers in Nauradhar region in Sirmaur district, some 200 km from Shimla.

"Last year we exported 600 metric tonnes of sandy snow peas produced in Himachal and Punjab," said Namdhari's Himachal representative, Mandeep Singh."We not only distribute the seed free to the farmer at his doorstep but also provide money for fertilisers and irrigation."

Seeds have already been distributed and sown for this year and the crop will be ready in a few months from now.

"The farmers have to bear almost no cost for producing the crop. Last year, we purchased the peas at Rs 25 per kg from them and then sold the same for Rs 200 per kg in Japan and Hong Kong," said Singh.

Company executives say Himachal's cool environs are more suited for growing this high quality pea variety compared with Punjab.

Production was likely to rise significantly here in the coming years as more farmers were showing interest in cultivating this vegetable, which is in huge demand in the Far East, they added.

Currently, bulk of the production was in Punjab but Himachal had a better growth potential, said an expert.

Sirmaur district is already the largest producer of ginger and garlic in the state.