A farmer, Kashinath Ghosh from Harinkhola-1 gram panchayat, Asarpur in Arambagh was felicitated and awarded from block to state and national level for promoting and encouraging organic farming, has for the first time in the state raised paddy from a new strain of high-protein content rice seeds named as CR- 310, provided to him from Cuttack ICAR (National Rice Research Institute), Odisha.

Kashinath said, “From the very beginning, I have been promoting and encouraging organic way of farming, my effort is recognised by district, state and national level. To my credit, the Cuttack ICAR, Odisha, provided me free of cost 5 kg of new strain of high protein content rice seeds developed by Cuttack ICAR and have asked me to provide feedback from sowing of rice seeds till the reaping of the final product.”

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The new strain of high-protein rice contains 12 per cent of protein; consumption of this rice can serve as an alternative to animal protein. Moreover, vegetarians now can now receive the daily protein requirement by the intake of this high- protein content rice.

Since the entire cultivation is organic, the cost of raising this special type of paddy is very less compared to the conventional type of paddy cultivation. The output of the new strain of paddy is very high; just in a bigha of land 25 mons (1 mon is 40 kg) of paddy is produced. It is completely free from the adverse effects of artificial manure, pesticides and insecticides .This rice can also serve as the best supplement of protein for the growing children, informed the farmer.

“At present, I will be sending 5 kg of paddy cultivated from high protein rice seeds to Cuttack ICAR with the detailed success story. The rest of the cultivated paddy will be distributed among other farmers and common people.

This new strain of high protein content rice will soon hit the market, many farmers have approached me in this regard,” he said.