UP govt’s ODOP push lifts Kalanamak rice from Rs 50 to Rs 200/kg

Kalanamak rice farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district have seen prices rise from Rs 35-70 per kg to Rs 180-200 per kg since the state's One District One Product (ODOP) scheme picked the aromatic variety in 2018. Traders now approach growers before harvest with advance payments, and cultivation area has expanded from 2,000 hectares in 2017 to nearly 20,000 hectares.

The District Industries Department has disbursed Rs 917 lakh in grants to 306 beneficiaries since 2018. Farmers say awareness of Kalanamak's nutritional value, including its low glycaemic index, has driven demand from cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Gorakhpur. Wholesale prices have reached around Rs 20,000 per quintal, up from Rs 5,000-6,000 earlier.

Farmer Pankaj Chaubey said growers who once struggled to sell now receive calls from buyers across the country. Another grower, Mohit, said buyers book the crop immediately after sowing. Deputy Commissioner of Industries Shiv Shankar said processing and marketing infrastructure improvements have supported the price rise. Officials say production needs to grow further to match demand.