Himachal Govt To Raise Sowing Area Of Nutritious Red Rice

The Himachal Pradesh government has planned to cultivate the nearly extinct ‘red rice’ over 4,000-hectare land. With this, the government aims to produce nearly 40,000 quintals of nutritious rice annually. The step was initiated as the sowing area of red rice continuously declined due to farmers shift towards cash crops and high-yielding varieties. However, Agriculture Minister Virender Kanwar said, “With growing health consciousness, and environmental concern, red rice…are making a comeback.”