TIRUVARUR: CREATE-Nel Jayaraman Organic Farm and Traditional Paddy Research Centre was inaugurated in Partuhityur village of Kudavasal taluk in Tiruvarur district on Tuesday.
The farm, named after renowned organic farmer Nel Jayaraman who preserved hundreds of traditional paddy varieties, was formed by CREATE, an NGO with which Jayaraman was associated.
The farm, spread over 10 acres, would be producing certified seeds of organic traditional paddy varieties. "Seeds of 10 traditional varieties would be produced in the centre," said CREATE president P Duraisingam. He added each variety would be cultivated on one acre each to maintain genetic purity of the
seeds. Traditional paddy varieties Kattu Yanam, Mappillai Samba, Karuppu Kavuni, Vellai Ponni, Thooya Malli, Karunguruvai, Iluppai Poo samba, Sorna Masoori, Attur Kichili Samba and Seeraga Samba would be produced at the centre.
He added CREATE is the first organisation in the country to receive a certificate from an organic certification agency to produce seeds of traditional paddy varieties.
Duraisingam said the 2020 edition of the National Paddy Festival organised by CREATE under the aegis of Save the Rice Campaign for the last 13 years would be held in Tiruthuraipoondi in May and around 8,000 farmers would be given seeds of traditional paddy varieties free of cost.
P Sivakumar, Joint Director of Agriculture, Tiruvarur district, inaugurated the farm. Professor V Kandasamy of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture (PAJANCOA), Patrick Jasper, District Development Manager, NABARD and D Gopalakrishnan, organic certification inspector, Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department, were among those present.
