About Kala Namak Rice:-
Kala Namak rice is grown in the tarai area of Siddharthnagar and ten neighboring districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is a scented rice variety which is generally offered better price as compared to other rice varieties to the farmers.
The name Kalanamk Rice has been derived due to its black husk (kala = Black, & the suffix ‘namak’ means salt). It is famous for its taste, palatability and aroma. It is also featured in specialty rice of the world by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Kalanamak Rice is in cultivation since the Buddhist period (600 BC). The grains were also found from excavation of Aligarhwa (district Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh). Kalanamak rice was given the Geographical Indication tag in 2013.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh is promoting Kala Namak rice under One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. A Common Facility Centre (CFC) Shivansh Siddharthnagar Agriculture Development Producer Company Limited has been established as part of the ‘One District, One Product’ scheme to promote kalanamak rice. District received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration during 2021 for holistic development of Kalanamak Rice through one district one product scheme. There is also a plan to set up a Kala Namak Rice Research Centre at Siddharthnagar with the help of IRRI.
