By – Addie Chiphang
Ukhrul, December 15:
Talui village in Ukhrul district is not just another hill settlement tucked away in Manipur’s eastern highlands. It is known far and wide for its distinctive “Shuri Kaso” garlic, a crop that has become the very identity of the village, sustaining livelihoods, preserving tradition, and symbolising organic hill agriculture at its best. Today, however, that identity stands at risk as climate change begins to bite deep into the soil of Talui, threatening both food security and cultural heritage.
Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract phenomenon discussed only in global summits. Its impacts are now painfully visible even in remote hill villages of Ukhrul district. From rising temperatures and unpredictable cold waves to erratic rainfall and seasonal disruptions, farmers—especially small and marginal hill cultivators—are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did little to create. In Talui, garlic farmers who once celebrated bumper harvests now speak with anxiety, uncertainty, and fear about the future.
In view of repeated complaints from farmers across Ukhrul district regarding declining yields and abnormal crop behaviour, this journalist undertook a field visit to Talui village. What unfolded on the terraced fields and garlic farms was a story of genuine distress—of plants drying up prematurely, of seasons losing their rhythm, and of farmers watching helplessly as their primary source of livelihood slips away.
“Our Garlic Is Organic, Our Losses Are Real”
Qlr. Suiningla Vashum, Chairman of Talui Kharngarum Self Help Group (SHG), spoke candidly while standing amidst her garlic fields. For the past twelve years, Talui Kharngarum SHG has been organising the Talui Garlic Festival, which initially began at the village level and later grew into a district-level event due to increasing demand and popularity.
“Our garlic is purely organic,” she emphasised. “We do not use chemical fertilisers at all. We rely only on traditional manure—cow dung, pig dung, chicken litter, ash—and natural farming practices passed down from our forefathers. Garlic cultivation has been part of Talui’s history for generations, and our soil is naturally suitable for it.”
Yet, despite centuries of successful farming, the past few years have been devastating. “Lately, we are experiencing heavy losses unlike before. Most of the garlic plants dry up before flowering or bearing mature bulbs. This never happened earlier,” she lamented.
Traditionally, garlic in Talui is planted during the month of August – September and harvested on February last or first week of March before the onset of heavy rains. However, for the last three to four years, rainfall patterns have turned erratic and unpredictable. Rainfall during the normal rainy season has reduced or become irregular, while unusually heavy rains now occur during the lean or dry season—exactly when crops require stability.
“This has severely disturbed the natural cycle,” Suiningla said. “Our harvest is far less compared to what we used to get a decade ago. Though demand for Talui garlic is very high and we want to produce tonnes and tonnes, we are helpless.”
She made a heartfelt appeal to the concerned government departments, research institutions, and civil society organisations to step in. “We need scientific study, evaluation, monitoring, and analysis of what is happening to our crops. Only then can we protect our garlic from unnatural decay and increase yields.”
Thirty Years of Farming, Now Clouded by Fear
Echoing similar concerns, Qlr. Peimila Vashum, another SHG member and veteran garlic farmer with over 30 years of experience, expressed deep worry about the future.
“By profession, I am a farmer, and our family always enjoyed bumper garlic harvests in the past,” she recalled. “But now everything has changed. Most garlic plants dry up from the roots even before flowering or maturity.”
She attributed the losses squarely to climate change. “During the rainy season, there is either very little rain or none at all. Then during the lean season, there is heavy to very heavy rainfall. This reversal has damaged crops beyond recovery.”
For poor hill farmers with limited alternative income sources, such losses are devastating. “As a farmer, I am worried not only about today but about our children’s future,” she said.
A Festival Rooted in Soil, Culture, and Economy
The Talui Garlic Festival, celebrated annually during February–March at the district level, is more than just an agricultural exhibition. It is a vibrant cultural and economic event that brings together individual farmers, SHGs, and groups. Hundreds of stalls display organic garlic, traditional food items, and local produce, highlighting Talui’s unique agricultural heritage.
The festival aims to preserve traditional farming practices, boost farmers’ income, and promote the cultivation of Shuri Kaso garlic beyond local markets. According to farmers, Talui village once produced around 30,000 kilograms of garlic annually, sold at approximately ¹ 200 per kilogram, providing a crucial economic backbone to the village.
This year, however, production has dropped drastically due to changing rainfall patterns during the plantation season—a clear indicator of climate stress.
Shuri Kaso Garlic: More Than a Crop
Entrepreneur Eno T. Raikhan described Shuri Kaso garlic as “the identity of Talui village.” He highlighted its unique features—distinctive flavour, strong aroma, and exceptional storage durability—which set it apart from other garlic varieties.
He also pointed to its perceived health benefits. “There has been no complaint of heart problems among villagers who regularly consume Shuri Kaso garlic,” he claimed, while acknowledging that this observation is not backed by scientific studies.
Raikhan urged farmers to prioritise quality and medicinal value over mere economic scaling. “Preserve the purity of organic garlic. Do not dilute its value for short-term gains,” he advised.
The Urgent Need for Research and Policy Intervention
The crisis unfolding in Talui is a microcosm of a much larger problem facing hill agriculture across Northeast India. Climate change has begun to disrupt traditional knowledge systems that once ensured food security and sustainability. Without timely intervention, villages like Talui risk losing not only their primary crops but also their cultural identity.
What farmers are asking for is not charity, but support rooted in science and policy—climate-resilient farming techniques, crop-specific research, rainfall pattern analysis, soil health monitoring, and adaptive agricultural planning. Government departments, agricultural universities, and climate research bodies must collaborate to protect indigenous crops like Shuri Kaso garlic before it is too late.
Talui’s garlic fields are sending a clear warning. If climate change can wither a crop nurtured for generations in the Himalayan foothills, the future of hill farming itself hangs in the balance. The time to act—through research, evaluation, monitoring, and meaningful support—is now.
(This Article is written under the joined initiative of Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, GoM, Media Resource Centre and Ukhrul District Working Journalist Association)