After Gurleen Chawla who was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strawberry cultivation in the rugged Bundelkhand, now Harish Chandra, a farmer in Barabanki, has found mention in the prime minister's monthly Mann ki Baat radio programme for growing chia seeds.

The prime minister appreciated the efforts of Harish Chandra, a former army man in Barabanki, for growing chia seeds without any help from the government. The prime minister said that this innovation would not only help the farmer increase his income but also contribute to the cause of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

The chia seed, considered to be a super food in the United States and China, is originally a Mexican crop. It is being grown in half an acre land in Amseruva village in Siddhaur block of Haidergarh tehsil in Barabanki with a modest investment of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre.

Chandra has grown several quintals of chia seeds since he sowed it in November as an experiment.

"No wonder, after the praise from the prime minister, the cultivation of highly nutritive chia seeds will attract more and more farmers to grow cash crops to their benefit," an official said.

An elated Harish Chandra said that he had always looked at experimental farming and therefore he grew dragon fruit, green apple, red apple, ber, black wheat and several species of potatoes.

Harish Chandra has a desire to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and inform him of the experiments he carried out while growing dragon fruit and black wheat.

"I would like to give the chief minister the red apple and green apple grown by me,'' he said, adding that the Yogi government encouraged farmers to bring in new innovation in agri-farming.

On January 31, Gurleen Chawla, a young farmer of Jhansi, found a mention in the prime minister's Mann Ki Baat for growing strawberries in Bundelkhand. Later, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called her and assured her all possible help for innovation in agriculture.