Black Rice
This is the story of my school friend Mr. Anindya Baruah, who quit a high profile corporate job in Delhi, sacrificed a very easy life and went back to his roots in Dibrugarh, Assam. I always ask him, “what prompted you to take this decision”? He says, my friend, “I can’t be a city dweller for a long time and there is a strong urge to return back to my native place and do something substantial there”. Well done Anindya aka Ronty, we are always proud of you. Once he went back to Assam reality hit him right on his face. But he was not the one to be perturbed, he struggled from the scratch and gradually he became a successful government contractor. But as Covid hit hard, his business got impacted, then what next? The positive person he is, he ventured out in the world of farming. I was taken aback to hear this, from an advertising professional, to a contractor, finally to a farmer and not to forget, he is a traveller by passion and has covered entire India on roads with his XUV 500. Wow! Ronty what a journey it has been my friend and I wish you all the very best in everything you do. He now formed a voluntary organisation called “Rong Birong Foundation” to work with the locals at the gross root level.
Also Read: https://nomadlawyer.org/experience-the-tea-tourism-of-rural-assam/
The Goal OF Rong Birong Foundation
RONG BIRONG FOUNDATION is a dream to amalgamate the resources of our nature, in the fields of agri-horti-flori and allied services in an eco-friendly manner, and build an environment with the masses so as to be a medium to uplift the poor and downtrodden of our society. This FOUNDATION has plans of creating an energy vault by tapping renewable energy like solar and wind.
The first and most important initiative is the farming of Black Rice.
What is black rice?
Prized globally for its high level of antioxidants, black rice was known as “forbidden rice” in ancient China. It was reserved for the emperor and given in tributes. The rice contains anthocyanin, an antioxidant that gives it its colour. It grows in various parts of Asia.
The rice is a slow-growing, traditional variety with a relatively lower yield. It is a tall plant, which makes it resilient to moderate flooding. But this has its drawbacks
The Story Of Black Rice By Rang Birong Foundation
- 11th July 2021, the process started by planting 35 days old seedlings, called ‘Kothiya Ruwaa’ in Assamese
- A month old Black Rice Paddy
- De-Weeding is being done Manually
- Two month old in September
- First Glimpse of Black Rice in the plant
- Kati Bihu rituals/celebration in the paddy cultivation
- Distinct Black sheen enveloping the paddy cultivation by the end of October
- Sowing the harvest on 18th November in 4months and 8 days
- Separating the grains from the plant, manually separating the remaining husk after milling
- The final product is ready
- Sample packets are ready
Also Read: https://nomadlawyer.org/guwahati-assam-exploring-street-vegetable-market/
Top Benefits Black Rice
- Good source of several nutrients
- Rich in antioxidants
- Contains the plant compound anthocyanin
- May boost heart health
- May have anticancer properties
- May support eye health
- Naturally gluten-free
- May aid weight loss
The above mentioned benefits are not opinion of Nomadlawyer but are derived by research and verified.
No marketing support
Lack of marketing support from the government is hampering the potential benefits of the crop. Team NomadLawyer has collaborated with Rong Birong Foundation in promotion, marketing and sales of Black Rice. If you wish to order please write to us at connect@nomadlawyer.org
Or call/WhatsApp
- Imtiaz Ullah- 9560473322
- Anindya Baruah-8811047707
Team NomadLawyer continuously works for the welfare and betterment of NorthEast including flood relief operations, establishing libraries in remote areas, providing ration during Covid etc.
Here is some of our work