So you have heard of the Samba, a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin, popularised in western Europe and the United States in the early 1940s.
But did you know that Samba is also a variety of rice grown in some parts of India like Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka? The rice has a small ovular grain, when you compare it to the long grains of basmati rice.
Samba rice also has a distinct taste with a more ‘starchy’ or ‘corny’ flavour. The grain itself is much harder than the other varieties and is less ‘fluffy’ in texture when cooked so it gives a more wholesome meal with more caloric value.
Seeraga Samba is the most expensive sub-variety and has the finest grain. So when R Prabbu started Amirtham Organic Farm in 2018, he knew this was what he wanted to cultivate, but getting into Organic farming had its challenges. Prabbu explains that in the present conventional farming method around Tamil Nadu, more than 30% of the production cost goes into Hybrid Seeds, Herbicides, Pesticides, and Fertilisers. On top of the financial burden, they are also harmful for the soil and humans, only benefitting the fertiliser companies and hospitals/pharmacies that sell them.
In Conventional Farming, the expenses are more compared to the meagre returns. At times, farmers are even forced to spend their savings to continue farming. Prabbu says, “Since I love my work in agriculture very much, I am not interested in quitting this by spending too much on chemicals and disrupting my finances. So, I started natural and organic farming.”
Prabbu shares his experience after starting to farm organically; “Now the soil is healthy and it provides employment to our villagers. Since the absence of herbicides promotes weed growth, more labourers are hired for the additional work of weeding. Also, instead of using the aforementioned 30% production cost in chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the same money is spent on Green Manure, Compost, employment to local Labours and Traditional Rice Mills. We share our products with our friends and neighbours as well, building our community to be stronger.”
This strength stands as proof of the tough journey that the farmer experienced since the starting of Amirtham Organic Farm. He was continuously discouraged from the path, and struggled for a couple of years to understand the basics. Through the encouragement of a chosen few, he reached where he is right now. And as he says, “I am still learning.”
This Rice is healthy
Amirtham Organic Farm specialises in traditional rice varieties like Thooyamali, Mappillai, Samba Red rice, and Seeraga Samba rice. They are farmed and produced with the participation of Prabbu, whose continuous efforts have got the company certified by the Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department.
Organic rice has amazing benefits for one’s health, with antioxidants and naturally present nutrients. At Amirtham, organic rice is a lot cheaper than the conventional rice, which is a huge plus point for the company, which sells this product in places like Bengaluru, Puducherry and various other areas in Tamil Nadu. Other than rice, pulses and seeds can also be bought from here. Prabbu shares that the company will also be dealing in Millets, Jaggery and Oil in the future.
Read More: The Whole benefits of Brown Rice
