Kerala farmers bag genome awards

Thrissur: Kerala farmers once again made the state proud by winning four Plant Genome Savior awards (2014) declared by the Indian Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Authority. While two individual farmers, N. A. Chandran from Thrissur and Arvindakshan from Palakkad, have been selected for Plant Genome Savior recognition, N.M. Benny of Wayanad got Plant Genome Saviour Reward and Changalikodan group, Erumapetty, Thrissur, has been bestowed with Plant Genome Saviour Community award. All these farmers were nominated by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) which has been providing guidance and support to the farmers.

Last year ICAR had honoured KAU for its support for the farming community which had ensured notable presence of Kerala farmers in the list of awardees every year. Seven out of the 14 awards for 2013, which were  presented last year, were bagged by Kerala farmers.     Mr Chandran of Vemballur, Thrissur, is maintaining a collection of 10 varieties of coconut, 20 varieties of mango, 33 varieties of bamboo, 10 varieties of heliconia and animal breeds from nearby and distant farmers’ fields within and outside India. He is also maintaining Pokkali rice varieties and a traditional rice cultivar (Mundakan) apart from bamboo varieties.

Erumapetty Banana Growers Association won the plant Genome Saviour Community award for its sustained efforts in conservation and promotion of Chengalikodan, a banana variety with unique taste, shape and colour. This variety was recognised with Geographical Indication tag in 2015. KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. P. Rajendran said the sustained efforts of the university’s Intellectual Property Right (IPR) cell have helped the farmers bag the lion’s share of Plant Genome Saviour Awards ever since they were instituted. “I congratulate the award winners as well as the IPR Cell for the consistence presence of Kerala farmers in award function every year. We are committed to the cause of biodiversity conservation,” he said in a press release Tuesday. KAU Director of Extension Dr S. Estelita said that the awardees would be felicitated by KAU at the earliest.