Background

Background: The proposed project focuses on developing the value chain of Bau Dhan, an indigenous red rice variety traditionally grown in Dhemaji, one of Assam’s most flood-prone districts. Cultivated for generations by ST and marginal farmers, Bau Dhan is celebrated for its nutritional richness, including high iron, antioxidants, and fiber, and its cultural importance in local communities.

What sets Bau Dhan apart is its adaptability to waterlogged and low-input conditions, making it a climate-resilient crop especially suited to Dhemaji’s challenging agro-climatic conditions. It plays a crucial role in food security and seasonal income, particularly for smallholder farmers affected by recurring floods.

Despite these strengths, Bau Dhan remains largely absent from formal markets due to lack of organized processing, value addition, and branding. Most farmers sell unprocessed rice at low prices to local traders, receiving minimal returns for a high-potential product.

This project envisions establishing a sustainable agro-enterprise ecosystem around Bau Dhan through organized production, scientific processing, eco-friendly packaging, and national market linkage. A Farmer Producer Company (FPC) will lead this effort, ensuring local ownership and fair price realization. Infrastructure such as a Common Facility Centre (CFC) will support activities from aggregation to branding.

By strengthening the value chain, the project aims to enhance farmer income, promote climate-smart agriculture, and position Dhemaji’s red rice as a premium product in national health-conscious markets. It also seeks to revive traditional knowledge systems, boost rural entrepreneurship, and create a replicable model for flood-affected regions.

In doing so, the project will empower Dhemaji’s farmers to turn a traditional, under-recognized crop into a viable economic opportunity and a source of regional pride.