Tafe farm launches new rice strain

The `J’ Farm at Pudupakkam near Chennai belonging to the Rs.1,200 crore Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd. (Tafe), flagship of Amalgamations group, has launched a new high yielding rice variety, `super Ponni’ called J18 after 15 years of continuous research under organic farming conditions.

It has in the past, released several useful table rice varieties such as the white ponni, IR 50 and J 13 which are grown in large acreage in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh.

The new variety has been developed from a pure fine variety brought into the country from Manila. It has duration of six months, grown organically and not susceptible to any of the major pests and diseases that affect other paddy varieties.

It assured a minimum yield of 1.5 tonne per acre. The cost of cultivation per acre works out to Rs. 4,000 and the farmers could hope to reap a net profit of Rs. 9,000.