TIRUCHY: Conservationists to the ilk of Nel Jayaraman who have significantly contributed to reviving the historically used traditional paddy varieties have succeeded so much so that 203 lost paddy varieties have been retrieved so far in the State.

The paddy varieties retrieved by organic farmers and researchers assume significance as some of them are believed to have been consumed by the Gautama Buddha and the royal family of Mysore, tracing their origins thousands of years back.

Traditional paddy crusader Nel Jayaraman and the organisation set up to save lost varieties after his demise have been tasting success and contributing to the dire needs of farming and society at large. Their historic efforts have made farming lucrative today. The activists have been organising a traditional paddy festival every year at Nel Jayaraman Traditional Paddy Conservation Centre at Thiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur.

As the varying weather conditions have cost them dearly, farmers who rely upon the neighbouring States for water in recent times, have been awaiting this revolution to make farming survive and thrive. The organic farmers involved in the process of retrieving traditional paddy breeds said that the progenitor farmers have been able to find exclusive paddy varieties each for different ecological, farming needs such as some to sustain drought, some others to thrive amid flood, and even cyclones. With the available networks across the State, farmers who are part of the ‘Save Our Rice’ campaign have been able to trace traditional paddy seeds on the verge of extinction, tested them in available lands and restored them for cultivation.

The traditional paddy varieties that emerged successful in the practical experiments have been promoted to the farmers’ network across the nation. The 203 traditional paddy breeds retrieved in the past two years include Maappillai Samba, Karuppu Kavuni, Thengapoo Samba, Thooya Malli, Varappu Kudainjan, Matta Kaar, Kalan Namakku, and Sivappu Pudavazhai. The success is immense taking into consideration that the mission was started with just 11 varieties in 2006.

On June 22, the Nel Jayaraman Traditional Paddy Conservation Centre organised a national paddy festival which showcased the revived 203 traditional paddy varieties. S Rajiv, State Coordinator of the centre, who has been managing it after the demise of Nel Jayaraman, said the annual festival is growing from strength to strength. “We used to invite traditional farming enthusiasts and this year, we invited actor Sivakarthikeyan who spoke about his interest in traditional farming and lauded the efforts of the traditional paddy conservation centre for reviving the rarest of rare traditional paddy varieties. This apart, we have distributed 2 kg of each traditional paddy to 5,000 farmers across the state and from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Punjab”, Rajiv said. He said the paddy was being distributed free of cost under one condition that they should give 4 kg of the paddy variety in return.

“This year the most sought-after traditional paddy varieties were Karuppu Kavuni, Maapplillai Samba, Aadir Katcha, Poongar, Rathasaali, Navara and Thooya Malli. Since these varieties have more medicinal value, the awareness among the people has increased. These paddy varieties have become the most wanted varieties and are lucrative”, Rajiv said.

Among the retrieved traditional paddy varieties, farmers highlight a unique breed Varappu Kudainjan, a native breed of Ramanathapuram district which requires only 25 per cent of the water required when compared to the conventional paddy varieties. The drought-resistant paddy was said to be centuries old and was widely used by the farmers of yesteryears to maintain productivity even when drought hits them badly. Another traditional paddy variety named Poonkar with the lowest crop cycle of 70 days is the most familiar in the district. An acre of Poonkar cultivation would provide an average yield of 32 sacks (60 kg per sack) with the procurement price per sack touching up to Rs 3,000.

Similarly, what is now being called the rice-fish system, an integrated farming method renowned in Thailand, was used by Delta farmers a few centuries ago with the traditional paddy breed Matta Kaar. The paddy breed Matta Kaar can germinate even in pits and low-lying areas where the fields are prone to floods and inundation. The organic farmers claimed that inundated fields can be used for rearing fish stocks alongside paddy cultivation.

Owing to the medicinal value of such paddy breeds, farmers said that multispecialty hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore have become routine customers of the traditional paddy cultivated here in Delta districts. As the cultivation cost of traditional paddy varieties costs only Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per acre, which is 50 per cent less compared to the cost involved in conventional paddy cultivation, the average return for cultivating traditional paddy is reported as a minimum of Rs 40,000 per acre.

But organic farmers warn that there are fake traditional seeds are also available in the market. The farmers should verify whether the particular paddy variety has the organic certificate, cautions Rajiv.

Govt help to market produce vital, say farmers

The challenge for traditional farmers is low productivity due to a lack of inputs and farm management. Product quality is another issue owing to poor product handling, apart from challenges in marketing. Poor road networks, inadequate communication infrastructure, lack of storage facilities and the lack of a grading and standardisation system in the industry plague organic farmers. Given the high local demand for vegetables and the potential for exports, it is important to address these challenges for producers to benefit from market opportunities and increase their incomes. Dealing with these challenges, the farmers require a whole value chain approach, says Rajiv. Farmers have appealed for help from the government on this front.

Storage facility, the need of the hour

As demand for the traditional rice varieties have grown over the years, the farmers involved in the cultivation of such paddy varieties appeal to the government to establish storage facilities. “These varieties are so precious that they cannot be allowed to go to waste. Also, it’s not good to allow mixing conventional paddy varieties with the traditional ones,” Rajiv said.

“There are around 10 districts actively cultivating the traditional paddy in Tamil Nadu and the state government should establish storage facilities at least in these districts”, Rajiv appealed.

Maapillai samba: Grain to help prove manliness in Tamil yore

The word ‘maapillai’ (bride-groom) itself tells it all. Maapillai samba was once a virtue for every Tamil man to prove his strength. Many sports events were organised to demonstrate skill and physical strength as the symbol of masculinity. During the process of selection of bride-groom, the proposed man had to lift up a huge boulder to prove his stamina. Here comes the role of the Maapillai samba. The night before this event, the cooked grains of the rice variety ‘Maapillai samba’ is left to soak in water. The next morning the proposed man would drink the supernatant water of the soaked grains, which is known for infusing strength. The grain has enriching nutrients such as carbohydrates and vitamins. With the added energy he would be able to lift the heavy boulder and win the hand of the bride, if everything goes well. Hence this variety of paddy was called ‘Mapillai samba.’

Rajamudi: Laymen relish Mysore Royals’s special

A traditional paddy identified as Rajamudi was said to be exclusively cultivated for the royal family of Mysore. The paddy was on the verge of extinction but has been revived by the Delta farmers and has been made available even for the commoner. The price per kilogram is from Rs 80-Rs150.