Pokkali is one of the oldest rice varieties in Kerala. It became prominent for its salt-tolerant and flood-resistant properties and is now being pitched as a climate-adaptive crop
“Pokkali has the ability to withstand climate change because the crop can grow in places with saltwater incursion,” says Jayachandran, a pokkali farmer. Photo courtesy: Sivdas
When the South Indian state of Kerala witnessed severe floods in 2018, almost all crops were destroyed apart from the pokkali paddy.
Pokkali is one of the oldest rice varieties in Kerala. It became prominent for its salt-tolerant and flood-resistant properties and is now being pitched as a climate-adaptive crop.
"Pokkali has the ability to withstand climate change because the crop can grow in places with saltwater incursion," says Jayachandran, a pokkali farmer.
