Bengal Agri Dept. Develops Four New Climate-Resilient Rice Varieties

By Megha Bajaj

West Bengal is currently hitting the headlines due to the upcoming assembly elections. Amidst the political fervour surrounding the elections, news of the Bengal Agriculture Department developing new rice varieties has brought the state into the limelight. The Department has successfully developed four rice varieties suited to the state's climate. This information was shared by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during an event.

Congratulations For New Rice Varieties- CM Mamata Banerjee

In the context of the success of the state's agriculture department in developing the new rice varieties, she said that after several years of research at the Purulia Drought Resistance Research Centre and the Chinsurah Rice Research Centre, it has been possible to create these rice varieties, and I heartily congratulate all the scientists involved in this work. CM Mamata, while giving details about the four developed rice varieties, said that three of these four new climate-appropriate varieties, namely Subhashini, Lachmanti, and Musafir, were developed for the drought-prone areas of the western part of the state, such as West Medinipur, Purulia, and Bankura. Mamata Banerjee claimed that this variety is capable of yielding 52 to 55 quintals per hectare during the Kharif season."

4^th Rice Variety Named Iravati - Developed For Flood-Prone Areas Of South Bengal

While providing information about Iravati, the fourth rice variety developed by the West Bengal Agriculture Department, she stated that a variety named Iravati has been developed for the flood-prone areas of South Bengal. According to her, this variety, Iravati, does not spoil even after being submerged in water for a long time and can also withstand storms. Regarding these four varieties of rice developed by scientists, Mamata Banerjee said that keeping these four in mind, since 2011, the state government has developed a total of 25 new crop varieties through research for the benefit of farmers, of which 15 are rice varieties.  Responses are now pouring in regarding the four varieties of rice, Subhashini, Lachmanti, Musafir, and Iravati, developed by scientists of the West Bengal government's agriculture department.

Not only this, but the development of these four new rice varieties can significantly reduce the problem of large-scale crop damage that occurs every year, whether due to prolonged drought or floods caused by heavy rainfall, where fields remain submerged in water for extended periods. Agricultural scientists have particularly highlighted the development of the Iravati variety. They stated that the development of Iravati is especially significant as flooding has become a common occurrence every year in the paddy-growing areas of South Bengal.

Furthermore, prolonged submersion of seedbeds in water causes heavy crop losses every year, and this Iravati variety is expected to largely solve this problem. It is worth noting that paddy production in West Bengal is often severely affected by adverse weather conditions. Now, the news of the development of new rice varieties by the West Bengal Agriculture Department has raised hopes for further increasing paddy production in the state.

West Bengal is one of India’s leading rice-producing states

West Bengal's rice production plays a significant role in India's total production. Although a decline in Bengal's rice production was observed in 2023-24, the development of these new rice varieties is expected to boost rice production in the future. West Bengal achieved a record in paddy production for the 2024-25 season, reaching 256.53 lakh metric tons. Interestingly, West Bengal is one of India's leading rice-producing states, and the Gobindobhog rice grown here is particularly famous for its taste and aroma.

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