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Agriculture | Wayanad farmers get rights for 10 traditional rice varieties -KR Rajeev

Wayanad farmers get rights for 10 traditional rice varieties -KR Rajeev

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published Published on Dec 9, 2015   modified Modified on Dec 9, 2015
-The Times of India

Kozhikode: Despite a looming agrarian crisis, farmers in Wayanad have become the guardians of critical agro-biodiversity by nurturing traditional rice varieties which are fast becoming extinct.

They have won exclusive farmers' rights for 10 more traditional rice varieties under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPV&FR), 2001. With this, the number of rice varieties registered as 'Farmers' varieties of Wayanad' has become 16.

Seedcare, an association of traditional crop conservators, established with the guidance of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), has become the state's first farmer collective to get Farmers' Varieties rights.

The endeavour has become all the more relevant in the battle against climate change as some Wayanad rice varieties are highly resilient against climate-induced problems and are highly stress-tolerant.

The rice varieties for which the farmers have now bagged rights are Mullankayama, Valichoori, Onavattan, Kurumottan, Kunjoottimatta, Marathondi, Chenthadi, Koduveliyan, Thuroodi and Thonnooran Thondi. They had, in 2013, registered Veliyan, Thondi, Chennellu, Chomala, Gandhakasala and Jeerakasala under PPV&FR which is administered by an authority under the Union ministry of agriculture.

Wayanad farmers now have the exclusive right to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export these varieties for a specified period, said MSSRF director (biodiversity programme and community agro-biodiversity centre) N Anil Kumar.

"Wayanad farmers, especially the tribals, are the custodians of valuable rice gene pools which they still cultivate despite low productivity. Registration of traditional varieties under the Act can help in the breeding of 'climate smart' varieties using existing ones," he said.

The around 105 rice varieties in Wayanad have now been reduced to 35. Out them, only less than 10 are now extensively cultivated. These varieties are mostly drought and flood tolerant and have high starch and crude fibre content.

Anil Kumar stressed the need for the conservation, cultivation, consumption and commerce of the traditional varieties and declaring Wayanad's agri-biodiversity hotspot a gene sanctuary.

Raman Paliyara (72), a tribal farmer who cultivates only traditional rice varieties, said the government should provide additional incentives to farmers cultivating traditional varieties or else the paddy diversity will be lost forever.
 
The Times of India, 8 December, 2015, please click here to access

The Times of India, 8 December, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Wayanad-farmers-get-rights-for-10-traditional-rice-varieties/articleshow/50088082.cms


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