How Tamil Nadu’s farmers revived heritage rice varieties over decades https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/we-look-at-the-decades-long-movement-behind-the-revival-of-heritage-rice-of-tamil-nadu-and-the-farmers-researchers-and-entrepreneurs-who-affected-change-at-the-grassroots/article38249347.ece
Chitra Deepa Anantharam JANUARY 12, 2022
In Thanjavur district alone, for instance, “Around 45,000 farmers shifted to natural farming during the past 15 years,” says R Sriram, of SVR Organic Way Farm, Kathiramangalam. He credits environmental activist G Nammalvar, who accelerated the heritage rice revival movement during the past two decades, as well as seed saver Nel Jayaraman, who organised seed festivals all over the State.
“Their efforts resulted in a significant increase in the cultivation of native rice as well as widening the area of land that is completely into natural farming. It is the marginal and mid-size farmers who made this shift, and more and more are joining the movement all over Tamil Nadu to cater to the rising demand,” says Sriram.
In his 80-acre farm Sriram has since 2008, he revived close to 60 different types of heritage rice varieties. “In the Thanjavur region, which was known as Nerkalanjiyam, there existed 175 or more varieties and we are trying to revive all of them,” he says.
In Chennai, Qidhan, a platform that supports natural farming, has worked with farmers to revive and market an ancient rice variety called rakthashali, which was on the verge of extinction in 2018. Qidhan’s founder Harjas Singh, who procures produce from farmers and sells it online,
One big advantage of this revival is that the produce is being sold directly to consumers, with help from farmers’ collectives in every region or cluster.