The need for proper branding and planning of marketing strategies has been highlighted by the speakers at the State level workshop on “Prospects and possibilities of njavara rice farming”.
The workshop organised by the Centre for IP Protection under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) took note of the mismatch between the high demand for quality njavara rice on one hand and the difficulty faced by genuine njavara farmers in selling their produce on the other.
KAU Registrar P.V. Balachandran, in his inaugural address, stressed the need to validate scientific data on the medicinal value of njavara to convince the international society. “Even though njavara has been traditionally used for treatment of multiple maladies and there are reports on its capability to thwart cancer, it has to be validated with scientific data. Medicinal rice is the unique product of Kerala. Ensuring universal acceptance, proper marketing strategies and product diversification are the best options for sustaining njavara rice farming,” he said. T.R. Gopalakrishnan, Director of Research, in his presidential address, called for collaboration between the KAU and the Ayurvedic research institutions to identify the genetic elements responsible for the medicinal properties of native varieties like njavara and pokkali.
“An action plan to encourage cultivation of these varieties and spread awareness of their qualitative superiority and value should be evolved,” he said.
Dr. Ramankutty Warrier, chief medical officer, Vydyarathnam Ayurveda Foundation, Thycattussery, explained the medical applications of njavara rice.
Dr.Warrier detailed the different treatments using njavara and the properties of which were exploited in dealing with different diseases. Njavara should always be grown organically, he said.
Technical sessions on “GI status of njavara”, “Cultivation practices of njavara” and “Marketing possibilities of njavara” were held as part of the workshop. It was attended by farmers, traders and industrialists from different parts of the State.
