Context: To tide over a crisis-like situation created by severe seawater incursion into paddy fields in vast areas of the Sundarbans after cyclone Amphan hit West Bengal, farmers are experimenting on the pokkali variety of rice from Kerala.
About Pokkali Rice

• The pokkali variety is known for its saltwater tolerance.
• It is endemic to central Kerala.
• It is grown in coastal Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
• It has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Pokkali is an ancient farming practice. One season of rice farming is alternated with another season of prawn culture.
• When the salinity is high, prawn farming takes over.
• The rice crop doesn’t require other fertilizer or manure as the tidal flows make the fields highly fertile and it draws nutrients from the prawns’ excrement and other remnants.

Benefits

• The rice variety’s remarkable tolerance to salinity and floods makes it unique.
• About 80% of the rice paddies in the Sundarbans face the problem of saltwater incursion.
• If the pokkali experiment succeeds, it would be a good step to turn around the fortunes of the farmers.