Government Promoting Cultivation Of UP’s Kala Namak Paddy In Big Way

Lucknow/New Delhi, March 28 (TNA) Kala Namak rice which is grown in the tarai area of Siddharth Nagar and ten neighboring districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh has caught the attention of both the state government and rice lovers. It is a scented rice variety which is generally offered better price as compared to other rice varieties to the farmers.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh is promoting Kala Namak rice under One District One Product (ODOP) and has sanctioned a project of Rs. 12.00 crore for promotion of Kala Namak rice. The Government of India, through Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has taken various initiatives to promote Kala Namak rice viz; capacity building programme for farmers and stakeholders, agri-export farming, organizing ‘Kala Namak Mahotsav’, coordination with Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), exporters and farmers.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and its research Institutes namely; Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad, National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi are conducting Research &Development in collaboration with Government of Uttar Pradesh on Kala Namak rice.

The Government is implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM)-Rice in 193 districts of 24 States and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The 21 districts of Uttar Pradesh are covered under NFSM-Rice programme for enhancing production of paddy.

Under NFSM, assistance is given, through state governments, to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)/hybrids, improved farm machineries/tools, integrated nutrient and pest management techniques, processing & post-harvest equipments, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc.

The State Governments can also promote cultivation of Kala Namak rice under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana –Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture & Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY- RAFTAAR) with the approval of the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary of the State.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha this week.