PALAKKAD: The indigenous navara rice cultivated at a farm in Chittur in Palakkad is set to garner global attention. A documentary on the medicinal red variety rice is being readied as part of the European Union-India Intellectual Property Cooperation.
The documentary, which comprehensively captures the intricate details of navara cultivation, is being produced by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Central Government and the Europen Union as part of the ‘Make in India’ programme.
Says Narayanan Unni, who owns the 12-acre farm in Chittur, “A professional team from Spain had come and stayed here for eight days from March 13 to 21 and shot all aspects of the cultivation of navara. They visited the houses of workers, studied their living conditions and also understood how cultivation and pest control are being undertaken organically.”
Besides, they also documented how ‘tulsi’ and marigold cultivated on the bunds kept winged menace at bay and how ayurveda and ‘marma’ specialists viewed the product. They also studied its impact on society, he said.
The documentary filmed as part of the promotion of traditional varieties of rice will be screened at the Thai Fex trade fair scheduled to be held in Bangkok from May 31 to June 4.
In India, only three traditional varieties were filmed for the documentary. Apart from the navara rice, the Nashik valley grapes and the Kokum fruits in Maharashtra were the other two products being showcased.
Unni says, “Initially, I secured an organic certification for the farm in 2003. In 2004, I got the GI registration and later in 2008 I also received the plant genome saviour certification,” says Unni. Navara is among the 280-odd products which have received the GI tag.