19th National Paddy Festival and Food Festival Celebrated in Velanur Village, Ramanathapuram
CREATE, in association with the Keelakkarai Consumer Welfare Association, organized the 19th National Paddy Festival and Food Festival on July 23, 2025, at the Community Hall in Velanur village, Ramanathapuram District. This marks CREATE’s fourth paddy festival of the year 2025. The event saw the enthusiastic participation of over 70 women farmers from Velanur and neighboring villages, highlighting the importance of reviving traditional paddy varieties and promoting organic farming among rural communities.
Presiding over the function, Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam, Chairman of CREATE, spoke about the historical significance of agriculture in the Ramnad region and the organization’s sustained efforts in seed conservation and farmer education. He lauded recent government initiatives to promote organic farming and emphasized the need for stronger outreach to ensure these benefits reach grassroots farmers and consumers. He also stressed the vital role of women in agriculture and the importance of seed ownership and self-reliant farming systems.
Mr. P. Selvam, Assistant Agriculture Director, Thirupullani, shared details of state-supported schemes for traditional paddy cultivation, including bio-input centers, compost units, and marketing assistance. He urged farmers to utilize government incentives and to prevent distress sales by using regulated markets.
Mr. Suresh Kanna, Project Director of CREATE, spoke about the organization’s collaboration with both farmers and consumers, and its focus on reviving native paddy varieties of Ramnad. He emphasized collective farmer action, better use of government schemes, and the need for inter-departmental convergence across Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development, and Consumer Protection to support traditional farming systems holistically.
Additional speakers included Mr. Paramasivam from the Department of Consumer Protection, Dr. Suresh, District Food Safety Officer, and Mr. Vijaya Ramu, Treasurer of the Keelakkarai Consumer Welfare Association, who all addressed various aspects of food safety, consumer rights, and sustainable agriculture.
Five traditional paddy varieties—Poongar, Vasanaiseeraga Samba, Karuppu Kouni, Mappillai Samba, and Thuyamalli—were distributed to participating farmers as part of the seed revival initiative.
Mr. Syed Ibrahim, President of the Keelakkarai Consumer Welfare Association, welcomed the gathering, while Mr. Magendran, President of Velanur Panchayat, presided over the event.
