ABSTRACT
KOUSHIK ROY,1 ANIRBAN MUKHERJEE,2, 3 ANIRUDDHA MAITY,4 KUMARI SHUBHA,5 and ARINDAM NAG6
1 RRS (Hill Zone), Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, West Bengal-734301, India 2 Social Science Section, ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Uttarakhand-263601, India, E-mail: anirbanmujkiari@gmail.com 3 Division of Agricultural Extension, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, India 4 Division of Seed Technology, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, U.P. – 284003, India 5 Germplasm Evaluation Division, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi-110012, India 6 Dr. Kalam Agricultural College, Bihar Agricultural University, Kishanganj, Bihar – 855107, India
Abstract ................................................................................................ 274 9.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 275 9.2 Classification of Rice Varieties: Basmati and Non-Basmati ........ 277 9.3 Status of Some Dominant Areas of Native Aromatic Rice
in India ........................................................................................ 280 9.4 Status of West Bengal in Conserving Non-Basmati Rice
Landraces ..................................................................................... 283 9.5 The Context of Farmers’ Organization as an Option ................... 288 9.6 Existing GIS in Rice .................................................................... 290 9.7 Conclusion ................................................................................... 292 Keywords .............................................................................................. 293 References ............................................................................................. 293
ABSTRACT
Indigenous landraces of aromatic rice in India have been facing serious threat with the introduction of miracle seeds of high-yielding varieties and chemical intensive farming on the backdrop of green revolution. The report says that more than 100 indigenous aromatic rice varieties used to be cultivated in different regions of undivided Bengal. Many more landraces are still under cultivation in some small pockets of the state by personal endeavor of counted farmers but are not documented properly. Surprisingly, at present, only a few indigenous aromatic rice varieties are being cultivated in some scattered pockets of different districts in West Bengal, though in an unorganized way. Erosion of the huge rice genetic biodiversity including aromatic rice poses a serious concern for the farming community, environmentalists, scientists, policymakers, and especially rice-loving consumers. Therefore, considering the importance of these precious heirloom varieties, necessary strategic research and promotion are to be streamlined to protect from erosion. For the proper promotion of such non-basmati landraces (Gobindabhog, Tulaipanji, Badshabhog, Dudheswar Seetabhog, Radhatilak, Radhunipagal, Kalonunia, Kalojira,
Tulsimukul, etc.), geographical indication (GI) can be an important instrument. Acceptability of such rice varieties by the retailers and consumers in international and domestic markets is high; hence, promotion of farmers’ producer organization in this area would be a much-needed effort. Here, one of the important issues to be addressed is benefit sharing with traditional knowledge holder and improvement of their socio-economic condition. Therefore, GI can be a platform for product and market development addressing the socio-economic issue of the beholder. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to highlight the present issue, status, and scope of non-basmati aromatic varieties of West Bengal to be registered under GI.
