AAU pushes for global export of traditional rice with pure seed initiative
Assam Agricultural University launches initiative to supply pure seeds of traditional rice varieties like Joha and Bao to boost exports and ensure quality.
Jorhat, August 1: Assam Agricultural University (AAU) has undertaken an initiative to boost the export of traditional rice varieties of the State by making pure planting materials (seeds) available to farmers.
AAU Director, Research (Agriculture), Dr Sanjay Kumar Chetia said that though traditional varieties of Joha and Bao rice like Kola and Kunkoni Joha, Tora and Kokua Bao, had been making its presence felt in the international market in recent years, the volume of exports was not going up.
Sharing that several lots of consignments exported to Asian, especially the Middle East, and European countries were rejected, Dr Chetia said that when the university looked into the matter, it was found that the quality of those lots was undermined because the seeds used by the farmers were not pure.
The director said that to overcome the problem and to capture the global market, the AAU under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Dr Bidyut Chandan Deka has initiated a process to produce and supply pure seeds to the farmers so that the quality of rice varieties could be maintained.
Dr Chetia said that a batch of seeds can be used two to three times for cultivation after which fresh seeds will have to be planted. He also informed that under this initiative a pilot project has been launched in Nagaon district for Bao rice in collaboration with the UN World Food Programme, the State Government and an SHG.
Dr Chetia further said that AAU in association with the State Government has recently established the first gene bank of the northeastern region, where 7000 germaplasms of rice are being conserved, out of which 3000 are of indigenous varieties.
He said the gene bank will be involved in conservation of germaplasms of other indigenous crop varieties to maintain the biodiversity for the future.
Speaking about the high-yielding crop varieties devel-oped by AAU since its establishment in 1969, Dr Chetia said that 40 improved crop varieties were released so far, including 24 varieties of rice, rapeseed, sesame, green gram, black gram, millet, field pea, chilli and brinjal that were developed in the past five years.
The developed crop varieties include "Labanya' a new variety of purple rice which was found to be nutritious during research due to the high presence of antioxidants.