Badal seeks Azad's help for new paddy variety clearance

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In the past few weeks, samples of this variety of paddy were collected from various parts of Punjab after a spot was seen on the grain and tests are now being conducted by the health ministry.

The milling of the variety was stopped by the millers in the wake of prevailing uncertainty over its future, thus causing huge loss to the farmers.

"Badal met the union health minister at his residence in New Delhi today and apprised him about the situation. He has urged Azad to send the results to the agriculture ministry within the next 2-3 days, as the paddy was drying up rapidly in the state," a Punjab government spokesman said here.

Badal informed Azad that in spite of severe drought, Punjab has shown record production. However, now the state is facing major problem as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is not buying PAU 201 variety of rice, claiming the grain had more then 4 percent damage.

However, officials of the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) at Ludhiana said that the spot on the rice grain was on the account of iron deposition, which in a way was good for its consumers.