Koraput’s Aromatic Kalajeera Rice Gets GI Tag

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ‘Koraput Kalajeera Rice’, which is famous for its unique aroma and nutritional value, was granted the Geographical Indications (GI) status. It is also called the ‘Prince of Rice’. This highly aromatic rice looks like coriander seeds.

In January 2022, Jaivik Sri Farmers Producer Company Limited at Pujariput in Koraput district had applied for the Register of Koraput Kalajeera Rice.

The farmers of Koraput district in Odisha, said to be the cradle of the center of origin of cultivated rice, have been growing the Kalajeera Rice for generations. With the support of the NABARD and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment of the Government of Odisha, the farmers’ organisation received the GI tag for ‘Koraput Kalajeera Rice’.

The ancestors of the present tribal communities of Koraput district have domesticated rice in the region for thousands of years contributing to the conservation of Kalajeera rice. It is popular among rice consumers for its black colour, good aroma taste and texture.

Kalajeera rice is grown in Tolla, Patraput, Pujariput, Baliguda and Mohuli areas of the Koraput district. It is believed that the medicinal quality of this rice enhances memory, controls diabetes, increases hemoglobin levels and the body’s metabolism.

Recently, ‘Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal’ also received the GI tag.