The Rice Research Institute (RRI), Batalagoda has succeeded in discovering introducing a new variety of paddy and its rice flour can be used to manufacture biscuits.
RRI Director Dr. J.B. Senanayake told the media that this new paddy variety has been nominated as BG 381 and its rice flour can be used to manufacture the biscuits of ‘Come’ type.
The rice flour needed to manufacture this type of biscuit was imported and this discovery is a milestone in the manufacture of biscuits in Sri Lanka.
According to research, this paddy variety would produce about four metric tons per acre.
Dr. Senanayake said nearly, 15,000 paddy farmers countrywide are to be educated on these new discoveries of paddy varieties and farmers would be supplied with seed paddy in the near future to propagate these varieties. Farmers are encouraged to use organic fertiliser to grow these paddy varieties.
Another three types of new paddy varieties have also been introduced this year for farmers by the Rice Research Institute of Batalagoda, Kurunegala and these varieties have proved to be high-yielding in harvests. These newly- introduced paddy varieties are nominated as LD 376 (can be reaped in three-anda-half months) , BG 377 and AT 378, he added.