Red Rice crop which was missing from the plate is flourishing again in Himachal, farmers’ income increased

Red rice is a traditional crop of Himachal Pradesh, which was on the verge of extinction, but the result of the efforts of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and the government is that the cultivation of this beneficial rice has flourished again.

Actually, its yield is almost half that of normal rice, so farmers started running away from the cultivation of red rice and started cultivating varieties that give higher yield. But due to awareness towards health and government efforts, they have started growing red rice again. They are earning good profit from this, because this rice sells more expensive than normal rice.

Nutrients found in red rice

Red rice is full of medicinal properties. It contains an element called anthocyanin, due to which its color is red. Anthocyanin is a type of antioxidant, which helps in protecting the body from free radicals. Apart from this, red rice also contains many nutrients like fiber, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin E in abundance.

Excellent fragrance

If you think that only Basmati rice is fragrant, then you are wrong. Red rice also has a wonderful fragrance. Actually, this is also a crop of Basmati rice variety. The entire field smells with its fragrance and even if you touch the paddy ears with your hand, the smell of Basmati rice continues for some time. Not only this, its fragrance can also be felt in the fields around the field where red rice is cultivated.

Agricultural scientists say that research done on this rice has found that it contains more nutrients than other varieties of rice. It also contains iron and zinc in abundance.

Another specialty of this rice is that all the nutrients are present on the upper part of the rice, so it is not polished. The production from this traditional variety of rice is very less as compared to other varieties. Suppose if other varieties of rice produce about 40 quintals of rice per hectare, then only 20-22 quintals of production is obtained from traditional varieties of red rice.

Large scale cultivation in Himachal

Red rice is being cultivated in about 1100 hectares in Himachal Pradesh. It is being cultivated mainly in those areas where water is available in sufficient quantity. It is being cultivated mainly in the upper areas of Shimla, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Kullu districts.

Initiative of Himachal Government

The state government is trying to prepare Himachali red rice as a separate brand so that it gets recognition in the country and abroad. This will increase the demand and farmers will get good prices for the crop. Along with this, the state government is also developing better infrastructure in the areas where red rice is cultivated, so that access to the market can be made easier. Apart from this, research is also going on on high-yielding varieties of this rice and training camps are also being organized to motivate farmers to cultivate it scientifically.

It is expected that new technology, development of infrastructure and training will increase the income of farmers by popularizing this traditional crop. Apart from Himachal Pradesh, red rice is also being cultivated in West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka of the country.