Farmers engaged in the cultivation of “Navara” rice, a unique endemic crop native to Kerala with high medicinal properties, are facing crisis due to lack of marketing network and absence of remunerative price for the product.
Navara rice associated with Ayurveda and considered to be an energetic food for people of all ages was the first farm product that received Geographical Indication Registration in the country considering its importance.
“It is now mainly grown in Palakkad in an area of 30 acres and total production is about 10 to 15 tonnes per year”, Navara Rice Farmer’s Society President P Narayanan Unny told PTI here.
Farmers were not taking up cultivation of the rice inspite of high demand owing to poor marketing network and absence of remunerative price, he said.
The farmers, who cultivate organic Navara rice, were not getting buyers as the crossed varieties grown with chemical fertilisers were cheap, he pointed out.
“What we need is certain marketing support to sell the product at a competitive price with that of other rice variety. It is cultivated mainly in Palakkad and only about 10 farmers remain in this field now.
A few farmers in Malappuram and Kozhikode were also engaged in Navara cultivation. As the production cost of this particular variety was high compared to other rice items, the retail price of Navara was also high at around Rs. 350 to Rs. 400 per KG, he said.
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