The Chief Minister's Office of Assam announced on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, that indigenous Betguti rice has been planted at Borpathar in Dibrugarh under a climate-smart paddy intercrop system, marking a significant step in the state's push to revive traditional agricultural heritage through women-led innovation.

Context

According to the post by the CMO, the Betguti variety — sourced from just 10 kg of seed obtained from Titabor — is now being cultivated alongside 27 traditional paddy varieties at Borpathar. The initiative is being carried out under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and involves the state's rural development department, Assam Rural. The effort combines biodiversity conservation with climate-resilient farming practices, with women farmers playing a central role in implementation.

Policy Backdrop

Assam's focus on agrobiodiversity is rooted in a longer policy lineage. The Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART), launched in 2018 with World Bank support, laid the groundwork for promoting climate-resilient and traditional crop practices across districts in the state. The current Betguti revival builds on that foundation, aligning with national priorities around sustainable farming and agrobiodiversity conservation in Northeast India.

Indigenous rice varieties such as Betguti are prized for their adaptability to local agro-climatic conditions and their cultural significance to farming communities in Upper Assam. Climate-smart intercrop systems — where traditional varieties are grown alongside compatible crops — reduce dependence on chemical inputs and help buffer against erratic monsoon patterns increasingly affecting the region.

Stakeholders and Impact

Women farmers and traditional paddy growers stand at the centre of this initiative. Across Assam, women's collectives have increasingly been engaged in seed preservation and intercrop management, a model that simultaneously advances gender inclusion and ecological sustainability. Dibrugarh, historically known for tea cultivation and agriculture, provides a fitting backdrop for this revival effort.

The expansion of Betguti cultivation from a single 10 kg seed lot to a multi-variety cluster reflects the scalability potential of community-led seed conservation. By anchoring the programme in a specific village — Borpathar — and sourcing seeds from Titabor in Jorhat district, the state is building a traceable, localised seed supply chain for indigenous varieties.

What's Next

Agricultural observers will watch whether the Borpathar model is replicated across other Upper Assam districts, and whether the state integrates traditional variety clusters into its formal agriculture budget or upcoming state missions. The next assembly session could see allocations directed toward scaling such programmes, particularly as climate adaptation becomes a more pressing fiscal and policy priority in the Northeast. The convergence of women-led farming, indigenous seed conservation, and climate-smart techniques positions Assam as a potential model for other agrobiodiversity-rich states in India.