Sunday, November 13 2005 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Intense efforts are underway in India for commercial production of 'Golden Rice', an upgraded rice variety rich in vitamin-A to overcome high-level nutritional deficiency in most available varieties.

Three agricultural institutes Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARA), New Delhi, Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, have started research in this regard.

"Technology has been developed by international institutes on enriching vitamin-A content in rice. Our institutes are doing research on using the technology for our locally grown varieties. A lot of tests on safety aspects have to be conducted before commercial cultivation," Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Dr Mangala Rai told sources.

Research on up gradation of rice varieties enhancing the vitamin-A content has been going on at the international arena since 1992-93.

Switz Federal Institute of Technology first started research on this project. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Rockfeller Foundation and Syngenta Foundation later on became associated in this research.

Former head of 'Golden Rice' research project at IRRI and recently adjunct professor at California University Dr G S Khush, who was here recently, told sources that the new rice variety was produced by introducing specific gene from maize, which make Beta-carotene in the available rice varieties.

Due to increase in Beta-carotene content, the rice looks yellow in color and hence called golden rice. The Bita-carotene, after consumption, produces vitamin-A in the body, he said.

Research on commercial production of the variety is going on in six countries, Khush said. They are Indonesia, India, Philipines, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China.

"The researches being carried out in these countries pertain to up gradation of local varieties using the technology," he said.

Since this is genetically modified variety, food right activists may raise question about the safety aspect of the grain.

"To avoid any controversy and ensure safety, this variety will undergo food safety test and environment safety test before starting the commercial cultivation," he pointed out.

A K Singh, the chief scientist of 'Golden Rice' project at IARI here, said that research was at an initial stage.

"We have selected some specific Indian rice varieties like Swarna, Samba Masuri etc for applying the technology," he said.

Vitamin-A difficency among people world over is an area of concern. Nearly 400 million people including about 100 million children across the globe are suffering from vitamin-A deficiency.

The situation in India is very similar. About 40,000 children go blind every year in India, while about 2.5 lakh kids lose their eyesight in South Asia annually due to vitamin-A deficiency.