Dulali Begum was curious about the purple paddy grains she saw while visiting her relatives house in Gazipur last year. She collected some grains and decided to give it a try at her home in Gaibandha.

Then she tried an experimental cultivation of the purple paddy in one decimal land next to her house and drew the attention of local agriculture department. Now, the experimental cultivation has expanded to 25 decimals of land in Sundarganj’s Ramjibon union under the department’s supervision.

Village police deployed for protecting vitamin enriched purple paddy developed at Subarbodaha in Sundarganj Upazila. Photo: Star/ KM Rezaul Hoque

According to experts, purple paddy contains with high potency of Anthocyanin, an anti-oxidant, huge fiber and vitamin E. The ratio of anti-oxidant in the paddy is more than blue berry. It helps to resist agening and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetics and cancer.

“We will get a clear idea about the purple paddy after examining the rice. Next, we are planning to cultivate the grain across vaster areas of land in the upazila,” Rashedul Islam, an agriculture officer in Sundarganj upazila, told The Daily Star.

In size and yield, the mother purple paddy plants have grown 90 centimetres long and have 20 to 26 spikes – yielding 200 to 250 grains per plant. In comparison, HYV boro crop possesses 180 to 190 grains in each spike. The purple plant needed 140 days for harvesting, said agriculture officer Rashedul Islam.

Sundarganj Upazila administration and agriculture department has deployed two Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers and two village police for take care of the paddy field, he further said.