18th National Paddy Festival at Alanganallur, Madurai
CREATE (Consumer Research Education Action Training Empowerment) organized 18th National Paddy Festival on 12.09.2024 at the Community hall, Alanganallur, Madurai district. Around 150 farmers of Madurai along with 50 Thiagarajar Arts and Science college students took part in the festival.
Prof. V. Karthikeyan, Assistant Porfessor, Department of Botany, Thiagaraja college welcomed the gathering and explained about the outcomes of CREATE and Thiagaraja college’s collaboration in retrieving traditional paddy seeds. Mrs.Renuka Eshwari, President, Alanganallur presided over the function.
Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam, Chairman, CREATE spoke about the objectives of the seed festival.
He explained how his organization transformed from a consumer protection organization to focus on providing safe and nutritious food to consumers through the influence of late Nammalvar. Every consumer should become a co-producer. By doing this, there will be mutual learning and understanding about the issues in food production and the issues of consumers, he added. Highlighted the role of Paddy Seed Festivals in the last 18 years has transformed more than 1 lakh paddy farmers in traditional paddy cultivation through agro-ecologial methods.
Mr.P.Subburaj, Joint Director of Agriculture, Madurai released the book named “Vetrikku Vithidum Iyarkai velanmai”. While delivering the keynote address, he spoke about initiatives of agriculture department in promoting traditional paddy varieties through Nel Jayaraman Traditional Paddy Conservation Center.
While highlighting the multiple benefits of cultivating traditional paddy, he pointed out its merits in terms of controlling weeds, pests and diseases, nutritional and medicinal properties and its low glycemic index and most importantly the soil health and agro ecology. He While delivering the special address, Mr.Bharani dharan, Resource trainer, Madurai district insist the farmers to adopt modern technology to produce value added agricultural products to make agriculture a profitable entity. Each of the 150 farmers who participated in the festival were given 2 kgs of seeds from 12 traditional paddy varieties namely Athur Kitchali Samba, Kaala bath, Kuthiraival Samba, Poognkaar, Seeraga Samba, Karung Kuruvai, Sorna Masuri, Raththasali, Arupatham Kuruvai and White Kouni.