Mangaluru: Veteran rice conservator and Plant Genome Saviour Award recipient B K Deva Rao has called upon farmers to resume traditional paddy cultivation, not only to preserve native rice varieties but also to safeguard the environment.
Speaking at the Guest of Honour programme held by the Press Club, Mangaluru, the 81-year-old organic farmer highlighted how paddy fields act as natural rainwater harvesting systems, aiding in groundwater recharge and sustaining nearby water sources.
Rao, who maintains over 300 native rice varieties on his five-acre organic farm in Mittabagilu near Ujire, voiced deep concern over the shrinking diversity of local rice. “From nearly two lakh varieties, we are now left with only around 25,000,” he said, stressing the importance of medicinal and nutritious strains like ‘atikaya’ and ‘atikaraya’.
He also lamented the drastic reduction in local paddy cultivation — from 200 acres in his village to just 10 acres today. Rao appealed to the government to ensure fair pricing for rice growers and promote organic farming to maintain soil health.
His son, B K Parameshwar Rao, an engineer-turned-agriculturist, said the cost of rice production stands between ₹120–₹150/kg, while market prices remain below break-even. He also urged the forest department to plant wild fruits and tubers within forest boundaries to reduce wildlife-related crop damage.
The event concluded with a felicitation ceremony by Press Club president P B Harish Rai and dignitaries.