A rare indigenous rice species, which was almost extinct in the 1970s due to low output, is being revived in north China's Hebei Province.

The rice variety, known as "kermes rice" for its red color similar to the dyestuff, has a history of over 300 years and was once offered to the ancient imperial court as tribute during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"It has not been easy but I have developed more than 80 mu (5.3 hectares) of the crop since seven years ago, when I got a handful of about 300 seeds of kermes rice from my friend Li Ming in Tangshan City," said Zheng Hehai, head of Tangshan Daoxiang Rice Co., Ltd.

In the 1970s, farmers turned to other crops for their superior output and stopped planting kermes rice when it was banned by the local government. But Li Ming's father secretly kept several spikes of the rice in his home. Later, Li happened upon the spikes and sowed the dozens of seeds. The harvest became the seed source of current kermes rice.

As one of the estimated 140,000 rice varieties in the world, kermes rice is indigenous to eastern Hebei. The plant is 30 cm taller than general rice species and is vulnerable to stalk leaning. Its output is 180 kg per mu, compared with more than 700 kg for general rice, according to Zheng.

However, the rare rice variety's planting methods have been developed by the Rice Research Institute of Hebei Agriculture and Forestry Academy. The method is still in its trial phase, but there are hopes that the work can help make kermes rice more economical to farm.

And there are good reasons for persevering, according to the strain's enthusiasts.

"Kermes rice has low output and is difficult to cultivate. Why should we expand the plantation?" asked Zheng. "First, it has special nutritional value. Second, it would be regrettable if we lost something that has existed for several hundred years."

Tests show the amino acid content of kermes rice is 2.5 times that of general rice and the rice has hematinic and beauty maintenance functions, explained Chen Hongcun, an agricultural official in Tangshan.

"Unlike genetically modified rice, kermes rice is an original species left by our ancestors with no food safety concerns," Chen added.

"We will enhance our cooperation with agricultural authorities to study how to make the plant of the species short and increase its output for market, said Zheng.