The state of Uttar Pradesh is all set to export a consignment of 20 tonnes of Kala Namak rice to Singapore. This move is a major boost to the farm exports from the state.
Highlights
- Consignment of 20 tonnes will be sent to Singapore from Siddharth Nagar.
- Rice is being packaged in glass jars which also mentions the qualities of rice on it.
- The packaging of the rice comprises the popular quote of Mahatma Buddha as: “The unique aroma of the rice will remind people about me”.
- Soon, the state will start observing the Kala Namak Rice festival on the line of the Strawberry Festival.
- The government has also planned to set up a Kala Namak Rice Research Centre at Siddharth Nagar in association with the International Rice Research Centre, Varanasi.
- The state government has also declared the rice as Once District One Product of Siddharth Nagar. While, the central government has declared it as once district one product of Gorakhpur, Basti, Maharajganj and Sant Kabir Nagar. This declaration would help in production, processing, packaging and branding of the rice.
Kala Namak Rice
- This rice is also called as Buddha Rice.
- It is one of the finest varieties of aromatic rice that are grown in India.
- The rice is also referred to as ‘Buddha ka Mahaprasad’ (an offering to Lord Buddha).
- The rice was offered to the Buddhist monks so as to promote the rice in Buddhist countries.
- It is mainly cultivated in Deoria, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Gonda, Maharajganj, Siddharth Nagar, Balrampur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti. The Geographical Indications (GI) claims that these regions share a similar climate.
One District One Product (ODOP)
It is an initiative which has been initiated as a transformational step forward so as to realize the true potential of a district. This initiative will also fuel the economic growth and generate employment and rural entrepreneurship to achieve the goals of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The initiative is operationally merged with the ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative. It is being implemented by Department of Commerce along with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) which is acting as a major stakeholder