Bengal Kalojira, a rare and nearly extinct variety of aromatic rice with black husk mentioned in official records in 1876, has been registered under the Union government’s Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA).

“This is great news that Bengal Kalojira, a rare aromatic rice from Bengal, has been registered with the central authority. This is the sixth traditional aromatic rice variety from Bengal after Gobindobhog, Harinakuri, Lal Badshabhog, Radhuni Pagol, and Radha Tilok to be registered in the same category,” said Mrityunjay Ghosh, a Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) professor and principal investigator of the Bengal aromatic rice project, funded by the Bengal government.

The registration under the central body is important as once the variety is registered by farmers of a state, no MNC can clone the variety or change its name.

The development has prompted agricultural scientists to expect that the nearly extinct traditional rice variety will be available in the market within a few years, as the BCKV has planned to promote its cultivation in districts of south Bengal.

“During our research on the variety, we found its reference in a document from 1876. It was mentioned as Kalojira by W.W. Hunter in his book A Statistical Account of Bengal, where he noted that the variety was cultivated in the undivided Midnapore district. Another reference from Hunter’s writings in 1877, indicates that Kalojira was also cultivated in Bankura,” Ghosh added.

Like Gobindobhog, Bengal Kalojira can be used to prepare delicacies such as payesh and pulao. However, its aroma is different.

According to Ghosh, Bengal Kalojira is traditionally cultivated in some districts of Bengal, particularly in the Gangetic alluvial and red-laterite regions.

Siksha Niketan, a farmers’ society from Memari I block in the East Bardhaman district, has been engaged in the conservation and cultivation of Bengal Kalojira for the past two decades.

As the principal investigator of the project, Ghosh submitted the filled-in application along with research-based information and documents of the applicant organisation, with the recommendation of the Director of Research, to the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA). The application was made in 2022, and it took three years to get registered after tests and regulations.

The Bengal Kalojira variety belongs to the long-duration category and takes around 145–155 days to mature fully. It is a tall paddy plant, around 130–135cm, and bears white grains with a black husk. It is also low-yielding, with yields ranging from 2.6 to 3.2 tonnes per hectare.

“The registration of Bengal Kalojira is a great achievement that will create new opportunities for seed production, area expansion, and marketing of this variety,” said BCKV VC Ashok Kumar Patra.

A source said only a handful of farmers grew Kalojira currently. However, BCKV plans to distribute seeds of this old-but-new variety to farmers to encourage its wider cultivation. “It will take a few years for the rice to reach the open market. Once its commercial production begins, people of Bengal will have a new aromatic rice option in their kitchens,” said Ghosh.