A short insight into the traditional paddy and millet varieties used by Kurichya tribes in the Wayanad district of Kerala: An interview with Padma Shri Cheruvayal Raman

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Abstract BACKGROUND: Kurichya tribes, inhabitants of the Kannur and Wayanad districts of North Kerala, are well known for their traditional agrarian practices. Rice and millet were an integral part of the diet of these people and were widely cultivated. They grew different varieties of these crops using traditional farming techniques. Many healthy dietary items were also prepared using these native varieties. However, over the years, due to changing socio-economic conditions, the traditional farming practices of Kurichya tribes began to fall, and many of the indigenous seed varieties they cultivated became extinct. To conserve their losing heritage, Cheruvayal Raman, a proud Kurichya farmer, started to collect and propagate the cultivation of these native seeds. He cultivates different millet and paddy varieties and is known as the “Saviour of indigenous seed varieties.” METHODS: A personal interview was conducted with Padma Shri Cheruvayal Raman to gather information about the traditional farming practices, indigenous paddy and millet varieties cultivated and used by the Kurichya tribes of Wayanad, Kerala. Detailed information on the indigenous paddy varieties was collected and compiled. An effort was made to compare these rice varieties with those mentioned in the classical textbooks of Ayurveda. RESULTS: Through insights from the interview, the manuscript highlights traditional farming practices, native seed varieties, and the millet-based healthy diet of Kurichya tribes. Raman has conserved more than 50 native paddy seed varieties with distinct characteristics. The name and characteristics of the few seeds in Cheruvayal Raman’s possession match those mentioned in Ayurvedic textbooks. CONCLUSION: Cheruvayal Raman represents one of the last generations of Kurichya tribes with knowledge about these indigenous seed varieties. Research focusing on retrieving these varieties and scientific documentation exploring their functional properties is required for conserving them from the verge of extinction.