Paddy Rice Cultivation in Parbhani: Godavari Plain Agriculture

Parbhani district's riverine plains along the Godavari and its tributaries support paddy rice cultivation in the kharif season, supplemented by canal irrigation from the Jayakwadi dam system. Local farmers grow the Phule Samrudhi and Jaya varieties adapted to Marathwada conditions. Paddy is transplanted into puddled fields in July-August and harvested in November. Women perform the critical transplanting work (roi), working in teams moving backwards across flooded fields inserting seedlings at precise spacings. Traditional paddy varieties grown before the Green Revolution, including Warangal Sona, Ratna, and local aromatic rices, are preserved in farmer seed banks. Paddy straw after harvest is an important animal fodder, stacked in cylindrical ricks near houses. Rice bran oil from Parbhani district mills is a nutritious cooking oil. Traditional rice-based fermented foods include ambali (fermented rice gruel), consumed as a cooling summer beverage.