POKKALI RICE

Aug. 7, 2020

Farmers in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal are betting on the pokkali variety of rice from Kerala to tide over a crisis-like situation created by severe seawater incursion into paddy fields in vast areas of the Sundarbans after cyclone Amphan hit West Bengal on May 20.

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The pokkali variety, known for its saltwater resistance, flourishes in the paddy fields of coastal Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts of Kerala.
The uniqueness of the rice has brought it the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and is the subject of continuing research.
Vyttila-11 is the latest variety of Pokkali Rice to come out of Kerala Agricultural University’s field station in Vyttila. Vyttila-11 promises better yield of about 5 tonnes per hectare than the previous varieties, and is crossed with the Jyoti variety of rice popular in Kerala.

Source : The Hindu