WORA 2007 in Palakkad

Protect Traditional Rice varieties; Protect Paddy cultivation as a heritage; Assure an income for the food producer – declares Farmers Seminar in the Week of Rice Action 2007 at Palakkad, Kerala

Celebrating the Week of Rice Action, 150 paddy farmers from Palakkad, and other rice growing districts in Kerala, gathered at the Town Hall Annexe in Palakkad, and declared that paddy is a heritage and it will be protected at any cost, from threats of land grabbing, and Genetic Engineering.   The event was jointly organised by the National Farmers Protection Council (NFPC) and Thanal. 

Inaugurating the function Dr. K N Harilal, Member of the Kerala State Planning Board said that rice cultivation and rice culture in Kerala is going through a serious crisis and the food security of the state is really under threat. He also said that the rampant paddy land conversion is not only threatening the food security, but also water security. Where ever paddy land is converted recharging of ground water is affected and there is water shortage. 

Sri. Prabhakaran Pandiyode, General Secretary, NFPC, told that the paddy farmers in Kerala are burdened by the policies and unless the government is ready to give them a regular monthly income they will not be able to continue paddy cultivation. He also added that what farmers need is not subsidy or credit, but a proper income like other government employees. The average income of a paddy farmer in Kerala is about Rs.50 per day which is lower than that of an agriculture worker or a peon who earns around Rs.200 per day. Dr. Balachandran, Director, Regional  Agriculture Research Station, Pattambi presented a paper on how to rescue rice farming in the state.  Prof Rajalekshmi, a researcher from the NSS College, Ottapalam, presented her findings on the paddy land conversion in Palakkad district.

Describing the organic farming movement and  GM Free movement in Tamilnadu, Mr.Chellamuthu , President , Tamilnadu Farmers Association gave a call to the farmers of Kerala to reject genetically modified seeds and food because he said it is a threat to our environment, culture, health and sovereignty.

Mr. Krishna Prasad from Sahaja Samrudha, Bangalore narrated his experience of working with farmers on developing seed banks of indigenous varieties in Karnataka. He said that farmers are the real scientists and with little effort farmers can improve many of the traditional varieties to produce more and he quoted a few examples of such varieties developed by farmers through simple selection techniques in Mysore and which is now recognized by the state government.

In the last session 5 journalists from the main stream media were honored as “Karshaka Bandhu’s” (meaning like a member of the farmers family) by the organizers of the programme for their dedication to the paddy farmers and for raising the issues of farmers in the media and thus supporting their struggle.

Usha S., Sridhar R.