Kalanamak rice, ‘Buddha’s gift to people’, is now small, strong

Source: The post is based on the article “Kalanamak rice, ‘Buddha’s gift to people’, is now small, strong” published in The Hindu on 31st October 2022.

What is the News?

Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice, named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652.

What is Kalanamak?

Kalanamak is a traditional type of rice with a black husk and a powerful fragrance.

The rice is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of the Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment.

It is currently grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal (specifically Kapilvastu).

This rice is rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc and can help prevent Alzheimer’s. It also contains 11% protein which is almost double of common rice varieties.

This rice has been awarded the Geographical Indication(GI) tag in 2013 which recognised Siddharthnagar and the adjacent districts for the tag.

Under the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme, it has earned the Prime Minister’s award for Excellence in Public Administration 2021.

It was also featured in the book ‘Speciality Rices of the World’ by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

What are the problems faced by Kalanamak rice?

Kalanamak has been prone to ‘lodging’ which is one of the reasons for its low yield.

Note: Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls to the ground.

What has been developed by scientists?

Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652.

The traditional Kalanamak paddy’s yield is barely two to 2.5 tonnes per hectare. The yield of these new varieties is double that of the traditional variety.