Elucidating his vision of making the Kalanamak variety of rice internationally renowned, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a three-day-long Kalanamak Rice Festival.
"It is a matter of happiness that Kalanamak, one of the finest quality aromatic rice grown in Siddharthnagar, has reached every corner of the country and the world. In order to promote the production, processing, packaging, and branding of Kalanamak rice, the UP government has declared it as the One District One Product (ODOP) of Siddharthnagar," the chief minister said while virtually inaugurating the event on Saturday.
Congratulating the farmers, the chief minister said that new research was being done in all Agricultural Science Centres regarding the production capacity of Kalanamak rice. Stating that this scented variety had been cultivated since 600 BC, the chief minister said that earlier, the Kalanamak rice was cultivated in 22,000 hectares of land in Siddharthnagar and surrounding areas but because of the carelessness of previous governments, its yield decreased to 2200 hectares.
As soon as the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government assumed office, many research were conducted by the scientists of Agricultural Science Centres which improved the variety of Kalanamak rice and also enhanced its production capacity.
"Within four years of the BJP rule, the production of Kalanamak rice has reached 5,000 hectares," the chief minister said, adding that agricultural scientists were working with local farmers to increase their production capacity.
Earlier, the crop of Kalanamak rice used to get damaged due to rain or strong breeze because of which the farmers suffered a lot. But, now scientists have made research to prepare a crop in less than 160 days. This has also led to an increase in the income of the farmers. The scientists reduced the plant's length through technology and succeeded in increasing production capacity.
Kalanamak rice is known for its medicinal and curative properties. It is rich in antioxidants, omega-3, and omega-6. As the rice is rich in iron and zinc, it helps in regulating blood-related problems. Being rich in nutritional value, Kalanamak rice is excellent for diabetic patients.
An official communiqué said that the three-day-long festival was an opportunity for the Kalanamak rice growers to showcase their specialty produce and get a chance to gain a huge market.
People visiting the fair will be able to purchase paddy seeds and samples of various preparations made from the Kalanamak variety of rice, including kheer, pulao, cumin rice, khichdi, etc.
The communiqué added that colorful cultural programme would be organised in the Kalanamak Rice Festival in which local artistes and students would get an opportunity to showcase their talents.
In the programme, progressive farmers, FPOs and self-help groups would also be provided information related to the cultivation and processing of this product. It is worth mentioning that agricultural scientists from Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj, including Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, have done excellent work in the cultivation of Kalanamak rice.
Meanwhile, the government spokesman claimed that in order to promote strawberry cultivation, a month-long strawberry festival was organised in the Bundelkhand region which showcased the potential of strawberry cultivation. It had also ignited hope among the farmers as its cultivation would help write a new chapter of growth in the region.
It is worth mentioning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lauded the efforts of Gurleen Chawla, who, during lockdown, developed 1.5 acres of barren land into a strawberry farm. During his first Mann Ki Baat address of 2021, Modi said, "Gurleen's successful experiment has given a new hope that growing strawberries is possible in Jhansi as well."
Similarly, Gaya Prasad Murari Singh, a farmer of Sultanpur, has created history by producing dragon fruit.