Rice branding programme taking root

Hiran H.Senewiratne

RICE: The Rice Research Development Institute (RRDI) together with the Ministry of Agriculture is in the process of launching a major rice-branding programme for the benefit of consumers, rice millers/ processors and farmers to promote high quality rice varieties for consumers.

At present rice processors/millers process various varieties of rice without considering the brand, which in turn affects the quality when producing and marketing, RRDI, Director Dr Nimal Dissanayake, told the Daily News.

He said that where Samba rice is concerned it has many varieties; namely BG 450, 358, 360 and most rice millers process them without considering these varieties. When millers process them together it affects the rice quality to a great extent.

Under the programme the farmers will be encouraged to grow identified varieties and millers will be encouraged to process rice on the specific varieties, which will ultimately benefit farmers and the consumers.

RRDI will educate all rice millers to buy, process and sell different varieties of rice separately which will in turn help the farmers to identify popular varieties of rice for their cultivation purposes.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Post Harvest Technology is now in the process of popularising this rice-branding concept in rice cultivating districts covering Ampara, Anuradhapura, Pollonnaruwa, Hambantota and Kurunegala districts.