The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reported significant growth in Kalanamak rice cultivation, particularly in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, where production increased more than five times between 2018 and 2025. The number of farmers cultivating Kalanamak paddy surged from 2,915 in 2018 to 23,000 in 2024, driven by substantially improved profitability. The sale price of Kalanamak rice increased from ₹40/kg in 2018 to ₹150/kg in 2026, resulting in more than threefold higher profitability compared to normal rice.
Both Central and State Governments have provided comprehensive support through financial, technical, and marketing initiatives. Under the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and One District One Product (ODOP) Margin Money Scheme, individual micro-units and FPOs setting up Kalanamak processing/milling units receive credit-linked capital subsidies up to 35% with a maximum of ₹10 lakh. A Common Facility Centre (CFC) for Kalanamak rice has been established in Siddharthnagar under the ODOP scheme to provide modern processing, packaging, and export-support facilities to local farmers. The State Government has allocated dedicated project funding for promotion, production, and processing of Kalanamak rice, and the government is actively promoting the brand through Kalanamak Mahotsavs.
The National Agricultural Research System under ICAR has developed six improved varieties of Kalanamak rice: Kalanamak KN3, Bauna Kalanamak 101, Bauna Kalanamak 102, Kalanamak Kiran, Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1, and Pusa CRD Kalanamak 2. These dwarf high-yielding varieties achieve an average yield of 4.5 tons/ha compared to 2.5 tons/ha for traditional varieties. More than 1,700 land races and local varieties of rice have been registered with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority through ICAR-Institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
For seed production, additional seed indents are encouraged under the Breeder Seed Program, with 15-20 quintals of breeder seed produced annually for downstream multiplication. During the five-year period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, a total of 389.6 quintals of quality seed of Kalanamak paddy varieties has been produced and distributed to farmers.
The government is actively promoting exports through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which links regional Farmer Producer Organizations directly to international buyers and has facilitated export shipments to markets including Singapore and Nepal. The branding of Kalanamak rice as "Buddha Rice" leverages its cultural legacy to target high-value markets in Buddhist nations such as Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Myanmar. Siddharthnagar and surrounding Terai districts have been integrated into APEDA's Agri-Export Zone framework for specialty rice, providing priority financial assistance for export packaging, residue testing, and quarantine compliance.