Mandideep (Madhya Pradesh): The number of people consuming black rice (kodo) is increasing. So the tribal people who grow this variety of rice are also taking interest in producing it.
Fifty farmers of Lulka village have grown black rice over 75 acres of JK 137 variety. The farmers of Lulka village usually grow paddy, soybean, maize, and Arhar (golden pulses) in the Kharif season.
Senior block development officer D S Bhadauria said the blck rice had been grown on 75 acres in women’s self-help group in Lulka village. As the seeds of black rice are not available in nearby villages the society bought three quintals of seeds from the area that comes under Dindori Seed Corporation.
Female farmers Asha Uke and Sheela Dhurve told Free Press that black rice has many health benefits. It helps the patients with high blood sugar level, so they have helped the farmers grow black rice which was used in ancient India.
Saints used this rice which contains 8.3% of protene, 1.4% of fat and 65.9% of carbohydrate, they said.
Bhadauria said that there is a difference between cost of black rice and that of general rice. The general rice costs between Rs 2,800 and Rs 3,000 each quintal, but the cost of black rice is Rs 10,000 a quintal.
Similarly, general rice grows 40,000 quintals in each hectare, but black rice is grown 25 quintals in each hectare.