The latest focus of Telangana government is to ensure that the state-grown ‘Sona’ rice is marketed in national and international markets.
In a statement by the TRS party, it has been said that special measures are being taken by KCR government to promote the rice. Thanks to directives from the government, the farmers have grown rice in 10 lakh acres this year. The bumper crop is now awaiting the right marketing.
The Sona variety grown in the state has been found to control type-2 diabetes. Given its rare quality, the state government intends to market the rice to other markets, so the farmers can benefit from the move.
A special marketing strategy has been developed by Jayashankar Varsity and Indian School of Business. The special report has been released by agricultural minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy.
Earlier in the year, American Journal of Food and Nutrition had stated that the Telangana Sona rice (RNR 15048) or chittimallelu as it is called was better than Japonica rice in terms of glycemic index (GI). A study found that Telangana Sona had low glycemic index which upon regular consumption for three months reduced glcosylated haemoglobin (HBA1c) levels in diabetic patients. The rice was also found to elevate plasma HDL cholesterol levels in patients with type-2 diabetes.
The low GI according to National Institute of Nutrition, could be due to variations in chemical nature of the starchy polysaccharides-amylose and amylopectin, structural pattern and the way it is cooked.