A Rare Grain

Giving in to the fertiliser lobby, the Bengal government has failed to promote a paddy variety that can be consumed simply after soaking—a meal for those who can’t afford fuel

- Romita Datta

At a time when the Narendra Modi government is striving to deliver LPG connections to India’s poorest households, agricultural scientists in West Bengal have revived a traditional foodgrain that doesn’t need to be cooked. Komol—grown over the past decade at the agricultural training institute in Phulia (Nadia district)—is an indigenous strain of paddy that can be consumed simply after soaking for about 30 minutes.

Anupam Paul, assistant director at the institute, who helped bring back this and 430 other indigenous paddy varieties, says Komol is a high-yielding variety at 4-4.5 tonnes per hectare, with the added benefit of not requiring any chemical fertilisers or pesticides. After soaking, it can be consumed like ordinary rice and is particularly tasty with curd and jaggery.