Black and red rice grow popular among Andhra Pradesh’s paddy farmers

VISAKHAPATNAM: The increasing demand for black and red rice has led to a gradual increase in cultivation of the exotic and nutritious crops in parts of Andhra Pradesh. Paddy farmers in parts of the state see the rising demand as a major opportunity to rake in profits and these alternative rice varieties fetch better prices than conventional white rice.
As per estimates, more than 1,000 farmers are engaged in cultivation of black and red rice. The agriculture department has been encouraging farmers to cultivate these rice varieties through natural farming in parts of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and a few other districts.

Black rice or Kala Batti is, as the name suggests, black in colour which turns to purple upon cooking. The purple colour is due to the rice’s anthocyanin content. Black rice contains more vitamins and minerals than white rice and is also rich in fibre and has anti-carcinogenic properties, says K Prakash, assistant director of agriculture and district project manager of natural farming.
Similarly, red rice or Ratna Chodi is rich in iron, said Prakash adding that farmers started cultivating these rice varieties nearby a year ago. Now, these exotic rice varieties are cultivated in around 200 acres land in Vizianagaram district. “Soon, more farmers will fancy growing black and red rice,” Prakash added.
Muralikrishna, a farmer who grows black rice, said, “I came to know about the benefits of black rice and its market value and decided to experiment on some land. The input cost for growing the variety is low and the return is good as there is high demand.” Muralikrishna has decided to promote farming of Kala Batti among his peers.