Paddy Prices Increase, Matta Rice in Kerala, and Digital Learning in Rice Fields: Top Rice News of the Day

By Megha Bajaj

Paddy Prices Increase by 30 per cent as Samba Harvest Picks up pace in Tamil Nadu

According to recent developments, the sales of finer and superfine paddy varieties in the open market have increased, with prices rising by up to 30% compared to last year, as the samba paddy harvest gains momentum across the southern districts. Rice millers stated that the demand from premium varieties has remained strong this season, led by a drop in supply of paddy from the neighbouring states and steady consumption. Notably, Samba Paddy Cultivation is generally carried out between September and January and the harvest is picking its peak phase. With increased arrivals, the open market has become more active, especially for finer and superfine varieties, which are preferred by the millers due to their better milling recovery and consumer demand. However, several farmers though cautiously optimistic of the price surge, expressed concerns over the prevailing humid weather conditions, warning that the risk of pest attacks and crop diseases could affect yields during the remaining harvest period.

Government Rolls Out Record 55,000 Metric Tons of Rice to the Market

The Sri Lankan Government has begun rolling out 55,000 metric tons of rice to the market from the stocks purchased during the last yala season. Chairman of the National Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (NCWE), Kosala Wilbaww, noted that only 59 metric tons of rice were rolled out during the previous Maha season. Furthermore, he highlighted that this marks a record-breaking quantity of rice rolled out to the market within a single season.

Kerala Police Officer Cultivates high-yield, pest-resistant Wayanadan Matta Rice in Upper Kuttanad

Navas Vaniyapurackel, a civil police officer at the Edathua Police Station, has cultivated the Wayanadan Matta variety of Paddy in Upper Kuttanad. He cultivated this matta rice at the Kattakuzhi paddy field, under the jurisdiction of the Veeyapuram Krishi Bhavan, on an experimental basis. He received these from a friend in Wayanad, were sown in a 50-cent plot of paddy field. Interestingly, the crop then began to form grain heads by the 65^th day. A significant feature of this variety of paddy is its ability to produce a good yield in a short amount of time. In addition, it is highly resistant to diseases. Farmers would also benefit from its low fertiliser requirement and decreased vulnerability to pest attacks because it can be harvested early. Paddy fields that are under threat of flooding would also benefit from it.

Digital learning reaches Rice Fields in Jammu and Kashmir

After following traditional methods of agriculture which are cost- consuming, require plenty of labour and resources, Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a massive transformation with over 70% smartphone penetration among farmers as Digital learning has reached rice fields now.Recently, a J & K administration has launched apioneering agri-learning platform named Daksh Kisan. Developed with SKUSAT-Jammu and SKUSAT-Kashmir, the platform provided agro-climate-specific, multilingual courses in agriculture, horticulture and livestock, tailored for low-bandwidth rural use. In Just two years, Daksh Kisan has registered 3.47 lakh farmers and recorded over 4.15 lakh course enrolments, promoting a shift toward enterprise-oriented and knowledge-driven farming. Its success received national attention, positioning it as India’s first dedicated LMS for farmers and a model for digital agricultural capacity building.