Heirloom rice varieties from Odisha

A guest post by Sujata Dehury

Yesterday, I called my uncle and my father in law and spoke to them about rice. They both became happy, sad, nostalgic-all at the same time. All these rice they and I (to a certain extent) grew up eating,are no longer harvested. Farmers have moved on to high yielding crops to avoid risk. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A friend informed that a group of farmers are doing a Desi Bihan Mela (an exhibition where they showcase around 70 varieties of indigenous rice and millets) in Bargarh district, also known as the rice bowl of Odisha. Check out the names of the rice here: