Udalguri: In a bid to support communities living in high human-elephant conflict (HEC) zones, conservation organisation Aaranyak, with support from LIC Housing Finance Limited’s CSR initiative, has intensified efforts to promote mustard cultivation as an elephant-resistant crop. Mustard, which is far less palatable to elephants than paddy, offers a practical and sustainable alternative for farmers who routinely suffer crop losses due to elephant depredation.
As part of the initiative, Aaranyak distributed 150 kg of mustard seeds to 45 farmers between October and November 2025. The beneficiaries belong to villages across the Mazbat Development Block—Rangapani, No. 1 Sikaridanga, No. 2 Sikaridanga, No. 1 Samrang, and No. 3—and the Bhergaon Development Block, including Bholatar, Nonaikhas, No. 2 Samrang, and Garuajhar in Assam’s Udalguri district.
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Udalguri remains one of Assam’s most vulnerable districts to crop damage during the seasonal movement of wild elephants, particularly during paddy-growing and harvesting months. With most households dependent on agriculture, even moderate losses severely affect livelihood security and household food availability.
Against this backdrop, mustard cultivation has emerged as a safer and more viable cropping option. Although elephants may occasionally enter mustard fields, they rarely feed on the crop, resulting in a significant drop in crop-raiding incidents. This shift is helping reduce conflict, enhance livelihood stability, and promote long-term human–elephant coexistence.
The intervention follows a need assessment survey carried out by Aaranyak to identify feasible alternative crops suited to local conditions and capable of mitigating elephant depredation while addressing climate change-related challenges.
