Most indigenous varieties of rice vanish from Chitwan

Farmers in Chitwan used to transplant 321 (local) varieties of rice as recent as three decades ago. Now, almost all varieties except the Anadi have vanished. The existing local/indigenous varieties of rice was disappeared with the use of hybrid ones.

According to the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), growing use of hybrid and genetically modified varieties of rice has replaced almost all traditional varieties from the district.

Use of hybrid rice seeds is growing from the tarai to hilly areas.

NARC’s Crops Science Division’s technician Atit Parajuli said indigenous varieties of rice are suitable to local climate.

The impact of climate change is noticeable in rice crops. Local rice varieties can cope with climatic changes and can address the problem, though not nationwide, in certain locations.

The NARC is presently busy in research and study aimed to develop high-yielding varieties of rice that get adjusted with current climatic conditions and resist diseases through the use of seeds of traditional species. Nepal’s climatic condition is varied from district to district. Some traditional species were capable of resisting dryness while some were disease-resistant. During the epidemic of rice diseases, traditional species are useful.

Blast is the most common disease that attacks rice crops in Nepal.

Hybrid seeds having potentiality of more production has been the first choice of farmers. Hybrid species give more production and farmers do not care about quality while choosing seeds and pay a higher price for such seeds.

The NARC has so far not recommended any species of hybrid ice for hilly region.

Seeds developed bearing in mind the atmospheric condition of other geographic locations (countries) sometimes turn unproductive on domestic soil, causing loss to them.

Rice is the main crop of Nepal and accounts for around 50 per cent of total agricultural area and production. Rice transplantation season is celebrated as a festive season and Asar 15 in the Nepali calendar every year is observed as the National Rice Day.