At first glance the paddy might look as if it has been burnt to ashes. Its colour has made local farmers curious, but it is in fact a high-yielding paddy variety.

High-yielding paddy described as rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants is being grown for the first time in Andolpota village of Shimulia union, Jhikargachha upazila, Jashore. Alamin Gazi has grown the Vietnamese black rice variety, and other farmers are becoming interested after seeing it. Because the crop has had few pests or diseases, Alamin expects a good yield.

Alamin Gazi said: "I am the son of a farming family and have been interested in farming since childhood. Alongside my business, I have grown paddy for several seasons. Last year I saw a video of black paddy on YouTube, collected three kilograms of seed from Bogura, made a seedbed and raised seedlings. Then I planted it on 20 decimals (12 katha)."

"At first I grew it on trial, as a hobby. Local farmers talked about various risks, but seeing the crop I expect a good, high yield. And because black rice has fewer diseases and lower costs than other paddy, other farmers in the area are getting interested. If there is demand in the market, I hope a good profit is possible," he said.

Local farmers said: "When this paddy was first planted, its colour was reddish. The ripe paddy looks the dark colour paddy turns when it is burnt, and at first we thought it had burnt. Now we see that is simply its colour. We have heard it is good for health and fetches a much higher price. We will plant it too next time, and we will need the agriculture office's full support."

Shahidul Islam, sub-assistant agriculture officer in Jhikargachha upazila, said: "We have heard about this new black rice through various channels. After contacting the farmer and visiting the field, we will be able to say more about the yield and other matters."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.