**1. Introduction**

Rice is the staple food crop of the North East Hill (NEH) Region inhabited by different tribes/ethnic groups. The varying agro-ecosystem and different tribe grow different land races of their preference based on quality and other religious purpose. The North-Eastern region of India has got a strategic importance and is surrounded by Bhutan and China in the north, Myanmar in the east while Bangladesh is in the south eastern side. More than 200 ethnic groups inhabit this region. This region is characterized by high rainfall, humidity, with varied topography and altitude making it a hub rich in floristic and crop diversities [1].

Rice being the way of life and culture of the people of NEH Region, irrespective of remunerative or non-remunerative, is cultivated under different rice growing situations of NEH states ranging from low lying lake areas to sloppy land of high hills in different rice growing seasons by adopting their age old indigenous rice growing methods and practices for their food and livelihood. In Arunachal Pradesh, rice is grown up to an altitude of 2000 m. Assam is characterized by both hilly and plain areas and rice is found to be cultivated in both. In Manipur, both upland and lowland local cultivars of rice are grown. In Meghalaya, soft varieties are cultivated

and used as both flaked and in raw form. In Mizoram, cultivation of rice is limited only to the valley and lowland areas. Rice is also a main staple in the state of Nagaland where more than 400 accessions of rice germplasm have been collected. Rice, in Tripura, is cultivated in hills, hillocks and flat valley. In Sikkim, is a hilly stretch in the Himalayas where rice is cultivated annually [2].
