Adityanath slams past regimes for reduction in cultivation area of Kala Namak rice

Lucknow,  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday blamed the previous regimes for reduction in cultivation area of Kala Namak variety of rice grown in Siddharthanagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

Stating the variety has been in cultivation since 600 BC, the chief minister said, “Earlier, Kala Namak rice was cultivated over 22,000 hectares in Siddharthnagar and surrounding areas. But because of the carelessness of the previous governments, its cultivation area decreased to 2,200 hectares.”

Virtually inaugurating a three-day-long “Kala Namak Rice Festival” on Saturday, Adityanath said in the past four years, the area under its cultivation has gone up to 5,000 hectares.

“It is a matter of happiness that Kala Namak, one of the finest quality aromatic rice grown in Siddharthanagar has reached every corner of the country and the world. To promote its production, processing, packaging and branding, the UP government has brought it under the one district, one product programme,” Adityanath said. PTI