NEPALGUNJ: The native species of paddy such as Masino Basmati, Kalanamak and Syamjeera, available in western Terai of Nepal, are on verge of extinction after the farmers preferred to grow high yielding hybrid species of paddy.
The cost of native paddy species is higher than the other new species. Farmers of Banke and Bardiya opted for high quantity yielding hybrid species instead of les quantity yielding local species of paddy.
The native species of paddy have smooth, soft, tasty and fragrant qualities, which are famous among the consumers. In the recent years, hybrid species of paddy is planted at 74 percent area of Terai, 30 percent area of hills and 10 percent area of mountains.
The local species of paddy are disappearing after increase in planting hybrid species of paddy, said agriculture scientist Ram Das Chaudhari of Regional Agriculture Research Center, Khajura.
Lately, the Masino Basmati, Kalanamak and Syamjeera, looking black, are hardly seen in the paddy fields. Farmer Gobre Prasad Barma of Khajura said that they need more quantity to live due to population increase in their family. “So we plant high productive hybrid species of paddy,” he said.
Masino Basmati, Kalanamak and Syamjeera need more water in the field compared to hybrid species, according to him.
Agro scientist Chaudhari said that the native species of paddy can be harvested n 135 to 140 days while hybrid species are harvested in 120 to 125 days. Pady is grown at the area of 36,500 hectares of land in Banke but only 30 percent of fertile land has irrigation facilities.
The farmers choose to grow hybrid species of Radha-4, Sukkha 1-6, which are grown in less water, even based on rains.
While native species yield only 3 metric tons per hectare land, the hybrid species grow up to 5 metric tons per hectare.
Nepal Agriculture Council has started collecting and preserving the local species of Masino Basmati, Kalanamak and Syamjeera. The seeds of 29 local species including Rato Anadi, Garra, Tilki, Mansara and Anjana are banked.
“We are also studying to preserve native species of paddy and produce new species having quality of local species,” said Chaudhari. “The study includes taste and smell of rice and tolerating capacity against dry or floods. We are going to develop disease tolerating and high yielding capacity.”
It takes 15 years to provide the developed species of paddy to the farmers.
