Cheruvayal K Raman: India is counted among the major producers of rice. To reduce the challenges of the modern era, farmers are now growing improved varieties of rice. Most of the hybrid varieties are being cultivated, but meanwhile many farmers are raising the slogan of Swadeshi by cultivating indigenous varieties. The name of Cheruvayal K. Raman, a paddy farmer on the land of Wayanad in Kerala, is also included, who has been conserving about 45 varieties of indigenous paddy for the last 20 years. Paddy itself is cultivated by completely traditional and eco-friendly methods, that is, no chemicals are used.
For this work, Cheruvayal has got a lot of recognition at the international level as well. In the year 2013, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA) has given ‘Genome Savior Award’ to Cheruvayal Raman. India also has 72-year-old Cheruvayal K. Raman’s efforts and has been awarded the Padma Shri award for his special contribution in the field of agriculture.
Tendency in farming since the age of 10
Hailing from Wayanad, the paradise of Kerala, Cheruvayal comes from K. Raman’s Kurichiya tribal community. Many farmers like Cheruvayal are worried about the disappearing forests in Wayanad.
Raman tells that he started farming on this land from the age of 10. It was the 1960s, when Wayanad was identified with forests, rivers, streams, marshy land. Only then Cheruvayal Raman is living in his 150 years old ancestral house.
Raman’s house, which preserves indigenous varieties, is completely made of mud and pus. After getting the production of paddy, they preserve it at their home. Cheruvayal Raman’s art of recognizing rice is very different.
He can tell the complete details of any rice by seeing, touching and smelling it. Despite suffering 70 to 80 thousand losses in farming every year, the spirit of being engaged in the work of conservation of indigenous varieties of paddy is attracting people.
Teaches people the cultivation of indigenous paddy
In today’s modern era, genetically modified and hybrid-advanced varieties of paddy are being used. For this reason, many indigenous species of paddy are on the verge of extinction. The same thing has been troubling Cheruvayal Raman for many years.
Raman says that people are now forgetting desi paddy. To make the coming generations aware of their importance, conservation of indigenous varieties is very necessary, although today many farmers are returning to indigenous varieties. Many farmers themselves come to Raman and demand these seeds.
Along with these seeds, Churuvayal Raman also gives farmers the knowledge of traditional and chemical-free cultivation of desi seeds, although no fee is charged from the farmers for this, rather the farmers who get the desi seeds have to return some seeds from the production itself.
500 year old rice preserved
You will be surprised to know that today Cheruvayal K. is emerging as the protector of paddy on the land of Wayanad. Raman has conserved about 45 indigenous-local varieties. Of these, Chennellu, Thondi, Velian, Kalladiyaran, Mannu Velian, Chembakam, Channalthondi, Chettuvelian, Palvelian and Kanali Wayanad have been identified as special varieties.
Raman also patronized a 500-year-old rice variety. He says that indigenous and local species of paddy are more resistant than hybrid seeds, which give good production even in adverse climate. These varieties do not spoil even after storage for many years. For information, let us tell you that Cheruvayal Raman inherited 40 local varieties of paddy from his forefathers.
Read this also:- Grown 3,000 medicines organically in just 1.5 acres, the big thinking of the small farmer got the Padma Shri award in his name
