Kalanamak rice bowl sees grain concern sprout in poll season
Much of the Kalanamak rice that farmers harvested last year is awaiting customers and the growers feel it needs an MSP push but they say they don’t know whether their concerns are part of any manifesto
Gaurav Saigal
SIDDHARTHNAGAR: In the fertile poll territory of eastern Uttar Pradesh, farmers in Siddharthnagar cling on to the grain of hope that the “Buddha’s gift” -Kalanamak rice – will give them a secure future via a separate minimum support price (MSP) for it. This electoral wish of the cultivators is now among their top concerns in Domariyaganj Lok Sabha constituency, under which Siddharthnagar falls and which votes in the sixth phase on Saturday.
The wish is not without a reason. The farmers say much of the Kalanamak rice they harvested last year is awaiting customers due to the “marketing channel” provided earlier not being available to the same extent now and the focus shifting to the promotion of fisheries.
Kalanamak rice is Siddharthnagar district’s signature item under the U.P. government’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. It has enjoyed this status since 2018. Kalanamak rice earned the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2012.
When Kalanamak rice got the ODOP status in 2018, the area under cultivation in the district was 2,200 hectare (one hectare equals 10,000 sq mt). It reached 12,000-hectare within one sowing season.
Balram Chaudhary, 47, an otherwise prosperous farmer at Ramwapur Nanka village, is one of those worried about his unsold stock of Kalanamak rice worth over Rs 2 lakh wrapped in plastic at home.
“I got the best produce from 50-bigha land in December 2023. As luck would have it, over half of my harvested Kalanamak stock is pending for sale,” Chaudhary says. For the coming season in June, he plans not to sow Kalamanak rice on more than five bigha. One bigha is 27,000 sq feet. His worry is a common refrain in Shohratgarh tehsil of Siddharthnagar: where to sell the pending stock of Kalanamak rice that they harvested last year?
Chaudhary’s village is one among 341 with a population of 2000.
Tilak Ram Pandey, 79, another farmer, says, “I have four quintal (400 kg) left. Some we will eat, but what about the remaining stock?”
He says his ancestors began harvesting Kalanamak and continued the practice but the lack of a marketplace is a dampener.
With a black husk and strong fragrance, Kalanamak rice is considered a gift to the people from Lord Buddha when he visited the region.
Farmers in at least 150 villages of Shohratgarh grow Kalanamak rice but the land under cultivation may reduce due to lack of a marketplace, the growers say.
“Between 2018 and 2020, our produce got sold instantly. The swift sale is absent now. We put in more of an effort as Kalanamak takes 40 more days than other rice varieties to reach the harvesting stage. In return, we don’t find a market for it. On the other hand, other varieties such as Sambha rice are sold instantly,” says Indramani Chaudhary, 66, a farmer at Ramapur Nankar village in Siddharthnagar.
The international demand, according to the UP government, had increased from 2% in 2019-20 to nearly 7% in 2021-22.
The Uttar Pradesh government encourages farmers, entrepreneur/exporters under ODOP scheme through a financial assistance scheme, training and tool kit scheme and procurement assistance scheme. Currently, Kalanamak rice is exported to Singapore and Nepal. In addition, it is available on the e-market place and ODOP e-market. However, a separate MSP is awaited.
“The sale of Kalanamak rice is in a scattered manner. There is no proper separate channel. Grading like Basmati is awaited from the Government of india. When grading is done, its rates will be different, owing to its properties,” says AK Vishwakarma, deputy director agriculture for Siddharthnagar.
“It’s a fine rice and its rate should be higher. Proposal for a separate MSP has been made by MP and MLAs and the office of the chief minister. Hopefully, Kalanamak rice will get a separate MSP soon and then farmers will get the increased sale price,” Vishwakarma says.
Sharing details of expenditure, farmers says a grower invests about Rs 1000 for tillage before sowing per bigha, Rs 1200 for plantation, Rs 600 per bigha for fertilizer, Rs 600 per bigha for the use of combine machine that cuts and threshes grains,
and Rs 1000 per bigha for urea and minor expenses. All this is apart from the labour that the farmers and their family members put in.
“After this, the Kalanamak rice is sold @Rs 10,000 while the Sambha rice is sold at @Rs 3,200 per quintal or 100-kg. The difference is in the yield and market. One bigha yields a maximum 1.5 quintal of Kalanamak rice and over four quintal Sambha rice. While Sambha rice is sold even before it is finally harvested, for Kalanamak rice, we wait for some shopkeeper or locals to buy,” says Devendra Chaudhary, 31, another farmer. Major rallies in the district and at places along Indo-Nepal order are being planned but Kalanamak farmers don’t know if their concerns are in any manifesto.
“No politician has come to us till now and I do not think they are concerned about Siddharthnagar’s ODOP. Yes, we will vote but have little hope from politics or politicians,” says Devendra Chaudhary.
“We have MSP for sugarcane, foodgrain then why not Kalanamak also? Let there be an MSPat which we can sell it. Since farmers cannot take the rice out of the district to sell it as they do not have GST, we are simply dependent upon government or traders’ support,” says Balram.
According to the data shared by the Union government in Rajya Sabha in December 2021, Kalanamak production was 4,311.00 metric tonnes in 2019 and in 2020 it was 6,849.00 MT. In 2021, the figure was 15,000 MT.
Sreya Deb
LUCKNOW : The burgeoning green cover across Lucknow and the state is yielding its first fruits, signalling the promising beginnings of what, if nurtured, could bring about significant environmental improvements in the decades to come.
According to the forest officials, the increased greenery has led to more frequent sightings of various animals in urban and rural areas, ranging from wild carnivorous animals to rare birds.
Former divisional forest officer of Lucknow, Ravi Singh, said, “No real impact can be seen in just two or three years. To see a tangible improvement in the environment in terms of flora and fauna, we would have to wait at least a few decades, if not a century, to see any solid difference that points to an improvement which may restore the balance of the ecosystem to any degree.”
He noted that from 2019-21, the green cover in Lucknow grew by 8.33%, and the growth
from 2021-23 will be published later in 2024.
According to the Forest Survey of India published in 2023, the total green cover of the state currently stands at 9.23% of the entire land area, which translates to over 22,000 square kilometres of green cover.
“Trees play a crucial role by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and minimising the impact of climate change on biodiversity. A mixed range of tree species provides habitats for birds, insects, and bees, thereby increasing biodiversity,” said PK Srivastava, former scientist at the Central Drug Research Institute.
He emphasised the importance of selecting saplings that particularly boost biodiversity as they grow. “There are certain species that do not support biodiversity, and such trees should be avoided,” he added.
Ravi Singh highlighted the improvement in green cover, noting cleaner air and more frequent animal sightings. He mentioned the increased number of leopard sightings and the recent sighting of the extremely rare Paradise Flycatcher in Lucknow, a bird usually sporadically spotted in forest areas like Dudhwa. “The Paradise Flycatcher, a rare bird with a tail three times longer than its body, was surprisingly seen in Lucknow,” he said.
The report also noted that in the last five years, the number of storks has increased from 13,670 to 17,586.
According to a study published by Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) Ahmedabad, Lucknow Municipal Records show that the city had 1,684 parks and gardens under their jurisdiction, comprising 259 hectares, as of 2020.
B Prabhakar, member secretary of the State Biodiversity Board under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, opined that government agencies tasked with preserving the forests and wildlife of the state are doing their part in protecting biodiversity. Over 200 species of birds can be found in Lucknow alone, he said. “The plantation drives have greatly helped in improving the biodiversity of the state. In few years we will see even more animals and birds returning to our forests,” he added.
Aditi Sharma, director of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, agreed, saying, “Depending on which department you ask, you will find different concerns about biodiversity from each one. But it must be said that initiatives like the plantation drives, as well as our ventures at the zoo to involve citizens in the caretaking of animals, have increased the collective consciousness to preserve nature in all its forms.”