A farmer from Odisha, whose indigenous paddy variety has gained widespread popularity among cultivators in the State, has sought a share of profits from the seed’s commercialisation. The move, if successful, would mark the first instance of a farmer in the State being compensated for conservation efforts under an initiative of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA).

In a letter addressed to PPV&FRA Chairperson Trilochan Mahapatra, Jayant Kumar Jena, who holds official registration for Keonjhar Kalachampa, the paddy variety developed by his father, has requested a fair share of profits arising from the seed’s commercialisation.

Keonjhar Kalachampa, known for its tolerance to major diseases and pests under field conditions in coastal Odisha, is non-lodging (resistant to bending or falling over), responsive to fertilizers, suitable for both timely and late sowing, and was among the first traditional varieties of farmers in India to be integrated into the formal seed supply chain.

The paddy variety was first registered in the name of Anirudha Jena, a farmer of Guhalia village in Anandpur block of Odisha. It was officially released by the State Seed Sub-Committee following recommendation of the Agriculture and Food Production Directorate, Odisha. Subsequently, Indian government notified the variety in 2015. However, after his death due to COVID-19, registration was transferred to his son, Mr. Jayant Jena, this year.

The State Seed Testing Laboratory (SSTL) had taken a lead role in producing the breeder seed, or genetically pure seed, of Keonjhar Kalachampa. The Orissa University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) had taken the responsibility of producing the seed. The Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) and private companies are marketing the variety.

“It is understood that the OSSC alone has produced and distributed more than 87,000 quintals of certified seed of this variety from 2018 to 2023, reflecting substantial commercial utilisation and profitability for the agencies involved,” said Mr. Jayant Jena.

When contacted, the PPV&FRA chairperson said, “Many farmers are getting benefits through registration with the authority. If a request comes from Mr. Jayant Jena, we will certainly facilitate benefit sharing in accordance with guidelines.”

If the PPV&FRA, a quasi judiciary body of the Centre, issues directions to the Odisha government in this regard, the windfall for the Jena family may run into lakhs of rupees each year.

Evolution

The Odisha Agriculture Department had stumbled upon the Keonjhar Kalachampa around 2006-07, during a baseline survey of seed germplasm – an effort to develop a catalogue of local paddy and non-paddy varieties. As many as 1,070 paddy varieties and 200 non-paddy varieties were catalogued.

Odisha created a gene bank, an one-of-its-kind initiative in India, to preserve only traditional varieties collected from farmers. Traditional paddy seeds have been preserved in a temperature- and humidity-controlled setting to ensure their preservation for up to 50 years.

“Anirudh Jena first presented the variety to me. I was so impressed by its potential and character that we took it into the government system for refinement. It is high-yielding and at the same time resilient to vagaries of climate change,” said Chakradhara Panda, former District Agriculture Officer, who was instrumental in the registration of Keonjhar Kalachampa with the PPV&FRA.

Keonjhar Kalachampa is one of Odisha’s 780 paddy varieties registered with the PPV&FRA. The scientific process to register the varieties was quite tedious. “We had detailed 62 characters of each variety, provided 100 panicles of each paddy variety and one and half kg of seeds for their preservation in the PPV&FRA gene bank. All the local paddy varieties had undergone DUS [Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability] testing,” said Mr. Panda.

He said local varieties are given huge importance as they enable development of new varieties that are climate resilient and sustainable.

“We first carried out pure-line selection of Keonjhar Kalachampa, which provides average yield of 7,000 kg per hectare. It was highly acceptable among farmers due to its resistance to biotic stress. After its field trials, it was released by the State government in 2013 and subsequently notified by Centre,” said Mr. Panda, who is associated with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

The PPV&FRA was established to protect plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders, and to encourage the development of new varieties of plants through recognition and protection of the rights of the farmers, who have been conserving different plant varieties for time immemorial.