Black rice is well suited for Assam soils and weather conditions, carrying a huge opportunity for its commercial production. The -funded Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation project (APART), has begun production of new black rice varieties from different states of India. The crop is expected to be harvested within the next week from the project wherein the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has embarked on this ambitious collaboration with the Government of Assam under the APART, IRRI said in a release.
The seeds of these varieties were sown on a total area of 17.6 bighas of land, comprising Manipuri black rice in 10 bigha, Kalavati in 3.6 bigha and Kalamalifula in 4.0 bigha as demonstration plots. These demonstrations are aimed to link the farmers with the buyers for higher returns and to make available good quality seed for future use. “With the current demand for black rice due to its high nutritional value and Health benefits, IRRI under APART aims at increasing areas with black rice production in the coming days,” the release said.