Traditional Seed Savers from Kerala Visit KJ Chaupal

Seed Cultivators and Collectors from Kerala visit Krishi Jagran as guests at KJ Chaupal. Reggie Joseph from Palakkad, Shaji Kedaram from Mananthawadi in Wayanad, KBR Kannan from Payyannur in Kannur, Satyanarayanan Beleri from Kasargod, Suryaprakash, and Devaki.

26 years of Krishi Jagran's daily existence were displayed through a short film that evening at KJ Chaupal in the presence of the publication's Founder and Editor-in-Chief MC Dominic and Director Shiny Dominic.

Later, each speaker discussed their way of life and farming techniques. The farmers who attended the KJ Chaupal have dedicated their whole lives to seed conservation. Seed Conservation involves conserving and sustaining seeds from “true to type” organic agricultural yield. “True to type” refers to non-genetically modified (non-GMO) (heirloom) vegetables, grains, tree fruits, berries, herbs, and so forth. On a grand scale, such a process is essential to ensure food security and foster the promotion of self-sustaining communities.  

The first speaker, Reggie Joseph, comes from an agricultural family. Gooseberry Lant, or Gooseberry Orchard, was the name of his farm, which grew a specific type of gooseberry. He is currently growing 28 different varieties of paddy and has a collection of heirloom seeds. He has received the "Plant Genome Savior Award". He was also awarded the National Medical Plant Board Award, State Amla Award, and State Medicinal Plant Award in 2016.

According to Shaji Kedaram, a farmer from Mananthavadi in the Wayanad district, the modern diet is to blame for the rise in childhood cancer. He claimed that people experience these problems since they do not consume tubers. Shaji is a conventional farmer who raises a variety of plants. Shaji's farm has been set up with different varieties of native rice, more than 200 different types of tubers, native vegetables, medicinal plants, fruits, fish farming, bee farming, cows, goats, chicken, and birds, as well as a significant collection of biological diversity. Also, there are several farm schools in Shaji’s farm.

Kannan, who lives in Payyannoor, Kannur, is an award-winning farmer for the best organic farmer. Also, in 2016, Ett received the Plant Genome Xavier Award, a central agriculture award from Delhi and the Union Agriculture Minister. Additionally, he practices organic and natural farming and grows a variety of fruits.

As the secretary of Sivorg Sustainable Food Forest Farming and a prominent environmental campaigner, Suryaprakash is well recognized. The only guy who cultivates 650 different varieties of paddy without having his own paddy field is Satyanarayana Belleri, a resident of Nettenige hamlet along the Kasaragod-Karnataka Border.

Every season for the previous 12 years, they have been grown in grow bags and paper cups. Currently, researchers from agricultural universities compile seeds that he has collected.

Devaki, who hails from Wayanad, is the president of the Tribal Action Council. She has also worked in various panchayats. According to Devaki, Wayanad is the largest producer of paddy at the tribal level.