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Karnataka Rice Expo unveils 200 varieties, highlights nutritive content
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Tuesday, 10 April, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
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The Karnataka Rice Expo referred to as the Desi Akki Mela, which was held here recently, unveiled over 200 varieties of rice from the state. The key objective of the event was to highlight the range of rice and the nutritive content.
With regard to rice, efforts are on to increase the area of cultivation, which is currently estimated at 1,000 acres. In this regard, there are 500 marginal farmers cultivating 2 acres each working under the ‘Sahaja Samruddha,’ which is a grower-driven initiative promoting the concept of traditional rice varieties.
India’s rice growing diversity needs to be highlighted. The country had two lakh varieties of rice before the Green Revolution. Now only 30,000 varieties were available in the gene banks, observed G Krishna Prasad, director, Sahaja Samruddha.
“The traditional varieties of rice have lost their identity with more importance extended to few high-yielding hybrid rice varieties. The dependence on fertilisers has seriously affected the ecosystem. There is need to bring back the rice of the past,” Somesha B, CEO, Sahaja Samruddha Organic Producer Co. Ltd, told FnB News.
“The rice displayed at the expo has several medicinal benefits. These include Medicinal Red Rice for joint pain, Diabetic Rice or Dianna, a parboiled red rice, ‘Kruvai Kalanji’ known for its high fibre content and the Burma Black Sticky Rice served in South Asia after lunch because of its digestive properties,” he added.
Going by the popularity of the traditional rice varieties, National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has now agreed to chip in Rs 35 lakh assistance to Sahaja Samruddha Organic Producer Co., to expand its marketing and distribution efforts, according to Somesha.
There is also a range of rice referred to as ‘Wodeyar,’ which is popularised by the Maharaja of Mysore. Gandhasale, Gamgadale and Jeerige Samba Scented Rice are displayed along with wetland varieties like Jolaga and Sannavallya, a red rice variety of Malnad region. There are two varieties of soft cooking rice: ‘Rajamudi,’ which is also a favourite of the Maharaja of Mysore, and Rathnachudi, a fine grain variety.
The coloured rice is unpolished and high in nutrition and tasty too. In addition, there is also a range of farmer-bred fine rice referred to as HMT used to prepare specialties like lemon rice and tomato rice. The Mysoremallige variety is developed from a Philippine landrace. It is not only used for daily consumption but also for preparing rotis.
There is also a range of organic unpolished rice Sona Masuri which is rich in taste and has pleasant aroma. “The three-day event had not just rice varieties on display but a range of millets covering Navane, Sasme, Harka, Sajje or Pearl Millet, Oodlu or Barnyard Millet, Finger Millet and Jola known as Sorghum grain. All these are excellent dietary source of calcium, iron and magnesium, lacking in the diet of poor, who live on starchy foods such as polished rice,” said an official from Pristine Organics.
In fact, Arya Farm Products has developed a range of 18 ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook varieties of rice and breakfast preparations. The company sources its raw materials and manufactures the final products at its production plant at Peenya Industrial Area in Bengaluru. Among the products are amla-jaggery jam, peanut butter plain and masala along with rice flakes ready-to-cook meals.
“There is a growing awareness on the benefits of organic foods and we are confident that this could drive future consumption,” stated Manjunath K L, assistant manager, sourcing, Arya Farm Products. A notable participant at the event was Save Our Rice Campaign, which was working to increase the traditional paddy varieties.
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