KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 20
The indigenous Kalanamak variety of rice is on the brink of vanishing in Banke as farmers increasingly abandon it due to low productivity and high cultivation challenges.
Farmers say the variety demands intensive care, reliable irrigation and is highly susceptible to pest attacks. As a result, many have shifted to hybrid varieties, said Santosh Pathak, information officer and senior crops development officer at the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Banke.
Despite its popularity among high-end consumers and tourists, Kalanamak has been overshadowed by hybrid options and commercial farming. Though rice was cultivated on 34,190 hectares this year, Kalanamak and other indigenous varieties were not even recorded. The Centre has now launched efforts to revive and promote them.
Kalanamak plants are tall and prone to lodging. To address this, the Centre has introduced shorter varieties and advised farmers on balanced fertilizer use. A trial plantation is underway on one hectare of land owned by Ganga Narayan Chaudhary in Titihariya, Baijanath Rural Municipality-8, who expects to harvest around 30 quintals soon. The variety sells for about Rs 10,000 per quintal, compared to Rs 3,500 for ordinary rice-reflecting its high production cost and longer six-month maturation period.
Farmers, however, continue to favor hybrids such as Ramdhan, Radha-4, MP-60 and Gorkhnath. Centre Chief and senior crops expert Binod Ghimire said subsidies on seeds and agricultural technology are being provided under the Small and Aromatic Rice Promotion Programme, but farmer interest in Kalanamak remains limited due to its demanding cultivation requirements.
(With inputs from RSS)
