Pratapgarh's sandalwood farmer to be special I-Day guest at Red Fort
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Prayagraj: Utkrisht Pandey, a pioneering farmer from Pratapgarh, and his wife Dr.Toolika Pandey, have been invited as special guests to the Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort on Aug 15.
The honour comes in recognition of Pandey's groundbreaking work in introducing sandalwood farming in Uttar Pradesh.
On his seven-acre farm, 'Rishigram', in Bhadauna village, he has successfully cultivated over 3,000 sandalwood plants and four hybrid turmeric varieties, showcasing exemplary organic and natural farming practices.
Talking to TOI, Pandey said, "It is an immense honour for my family to be invited as special guests to the Independence Day ceremony at both Red Fort in New Delhi and Lucknow.
We're thrilled and delighted by this recognition. To attend the ceremony at Red Fort, I've planned to travel to New Delhi, and I'm eagerly looking forward to this prestigious event."
The invitation has been extended by the state medical plants board and Regional-cum-facilitation centres under the Ministry of Ayush.
In May, a delegation from Bhutan visited Pandey's farmhouse to explore organic farming opportunities and learn from India's experiences, focusing on rural economy development.
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This visit also highlighted the growing interest in sustainable agricultural practices. Notably, Pandey has also been invited by the UP Governor to the Independence Day celebrations in Lucknow, recognizing his pioneering work in sandalwood farming and organic practices.
Earlier this year, a team of the Ministry of Ayush and National Medicinal Plants Board visited his fields to assess sandalwood farming and appreciated Pandey's efforts.
Pandey, a former Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officer, was the first in eastern UP to launch the cultivation of sandalwood plants and hybrid varieties of turmeric on his seven-acre land in Bhadauna village.
He acquired the necessary skills for sandalwood farming from a Bengaluru-based institute. He's not only implementing these techniques on his own farm but also sharing his knowledge with other farmers in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Pandey's initiative to train farmers in growing sandalwood and turmeric aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices in the region.
"After taking premature retirement from central armed police forces in 2016 from the post of assistant commandant, I decided to take up technical and skilled farming on my agricultural land. Initially, I planted 400 sandalwood saplings about six years back, and now my farm has over 3,000 plants and a wide range of turmeric varieties," he said.
He believes that sandalwood production will increase employment opportunities for villagers, especially women, and lead to reverse migration and sustainable development. In 2019, Pandey took up active farming through organic methods to improve soil quality and the lives of thousands of other farmers. He also studied sustainable farming and further struck upon agroforestry as the ideal model for him.
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