Thottara brand rice to hit market in April

Thanks to the efforts of the district administration to revive paddy farming in the Thottara Puncha, Thottara brand rice will hit the market in April this year.
Image used for representational purpose. (Express File Photo)
Image used for representational purpose. (Express File Photo)

KOCHI: Thanks to the efforts of the district administration to revive paddy farming in the Thottara Puncha, Thottara brand rice will hit the market in April this year.The district administration, along with the Department of Agriculture and farmers, launched paddy cultivation in the barren fields of Thottara, once the rice bowl of erstwhile Kochi province, this year.

Around 525 acres of paddy fields was brought under cultivation. Anticipating a bountiful harvest of 3,000 tonnes paddy, the district administration aims to market 300 tonnes of rice under the Thottara brand in April. A rice mill will be established at an investment of `40 lakh in Thottara. It will be operated by Kudumbashree, said District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla here on Saturday.

The Thottara paddy fields, spread over 1,200 acres in the panchayats of Edakattuvayal and Amballur in Ernakulam district and Vellur in Kottayam district, were left barren for years together.The district administration took the initiative to revive the paddy fields and 350 acres of land was brought under paddy cultivation last year. The canals and streams in the area were revived with the help of the Irrigation Department to irrigate the land.

This year, paddy cultivation was extended to 525 acres of land. Paddy farming was revived in the fields of Kaipattur, Thottara and Ayyankunnam of Edakkattuvayal panchayat and Manakkathazham, Kunnamkulam, Thottara, Thollikari, Virippichal and Kanneri in Amballur panchayat for the purpose. 

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