{
  "id": 8128472,
  "title": "Uttarakhand’s spiritual solution to stem migration – Rudraksh farming",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/uttarakhands-spiritual-solution-to-stem-migration-rudraksh-farming",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T23:50:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttarakhands-spiritual-solution-to-stem-migration-rudraksh-farming-10882838/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In an effort to combat the issue of migration from its hill districts, the government of Uttarakhand is turning to Rudraksh farming as a new income source. Rudraksh, a seed used to make prayer beads that holds significance for Hindus and Buddhists, could provide a viable solution to the state's agricultural challenges and rural exodus.\n\nThe state government has tasked its Horticulture Department with developing a comprehensive cultivation policy for Rudraksh, covering aspects such as farming methods, post-harvest processing, and marketing. This directive came in a letter signed by Sandeep Sharma, Under Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department, and addressed to the Director of Horticulture and Food Processing.\n\nThe impetus behind this initiative stems from a request by Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay, following a delegation's visit to Nepal in March to study Rudraksh cultivation. The delegation, comprising Upadhyay, Rudraksh expert Prince Agrawal, and senior agricultural scientist Ramesh Singh Pal, presented a 197-page technical report and a presentation titled \"Strategic Introduction of Rudraksha Cultivation in Uttarakhand\" to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in July.\n\nThe migration problem in Uttarakhand's hill districts has been attributed to a lack of viable income from agriculture, wildlife damage, and fragmented landholdings. Pal explained that \"our villages in Uttarakhand have become ghost villages,\" as there is simply not much available to sustain them. The team's recommendations highlight Rudraksh as a crop that can address these problems, as it is not consumed by wildlife, requires minimal maintenance once established, and boasts a large domestic and export market.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Uttarakhand government aims to curb migration through Rudraksh farming.",
    "State's Horticulture Department to develop cultivation policy.",
    "Migration driven by lack of income, wildlife damage, fragmented land."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Uttarakhand’s spiritual solution to stem migration – Rudraksh farming",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/uttarakhands-spiritual-solution-to-stem-migration-rudraksh-farming-8133391",
        "published": "2026-09-17T23:50:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}