Pricey prawns may imperil Indian grain that combats climate

Published April 25, 2023 7:12 PM

By JEMIMA RAMAN, Press Trust of India

KOCHI, India (AP) — On a tiny sliver land in southern India, the future of an ancient grain that helps combat climate change is in doubt. Pokkali rice, some 3,000 years old, can grow in paddies with high levels of salinity. Traditionally, pokkali has been cultivated for half of the year, with farmers dedicating the other six months to prawns. In addition to providing two kinds of crops, the pokkali-prawn combination prepares soil to store large quantities of carbon dioxide. With prawns fetching more money, combined with labor issues around pokkali cultivation, the delicate ecosystem in such areas is being upended.

Article Topic Follows: AP National

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