Kakinada: Farmers advised not cultivate bondalu variety of paddy

Kakinada: Bondalu paddy variety, which fetched rich returns to farmers in the past, has gone out of favour with them. The officials of the Agriculture Department suggested to farmers that they stop cultivating bondalu variety of paddy.

This variety of rice used to have high demand in Kerala. Bondalu boiled rice used to have a good market in Kerala. But with the same variety of paddy now being cultivated in Kerala, the rice millers from there stopped purchasing paddy from East Godavari. The millers in Kerala are selling the rice at reasonable price whereas the rice from East Godavari became expensive.

"We are discouraging cultivation of bondalu variety of paddy during rabi. The Agriculture Department advised the farmers to cultivate MTU 1121 or MTU 1153 varieties'' said Joint Director of Agriculture K SV Prasad.

The rice millers, however, said the Kerala government is still interested in buying bondalu variety of rice from Konaseema are in the district. But they agreed that the quantity of this variety of rice being purchased has gone down.

``Still Bondalu variety of rice is sold at Rs 3,600 quintal to Kerala State,'' said a rice miller. This variety of rice used to fetch Rs 1,600 a quintal two years ago. ``Many farmers used to cultivate Bondalu paddy in rabi season.