Wayanad: Chithira Farmers’ Group, a Joint Liability Group (JLG) under the Kudumbashree Mission at Oliyode, Tirunelli, has won the Best Tribal Collective Award 2025 announced by Kerala’s Department of Agriculture Development & Farmers’ Welfare.

The 10-member Adiya tribal collective was recognised for its efforts in conserving and promoting endangered traditional seed varieties. Over the past three years, the group has preserved around 200 varieties of rice seeds, collected from Karnataka and various parts of Kerala, including from the Thanal collective in Thrissur. Initially, they planted 300 varieties, but 200 survived and are now being actively promoted among farmers.

“We cultivate each variety in separate pouches and transplant them individually. Each plot in the paddy field is marked with the seed’s name,” said Sindhu K, a group member. To sustain their largely voluntary conservation work, the farmers also cultivate Thondi rice, which provides them with an income. They began with 2 acres in the first year, expanded to 7 acres last year, and have now scaled up to 16 acres.

In addition to support from Kudumbashree and the Tirunelli panchayat, the group has received guidance from local organic farmers Laneesh and Pratheesh Kumar, members of the Thanal Farmers’ Group, who also promote traditional rice varieties.

The award, which includes ₹2 lakh, a citation, and a plaque, will be presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on August 17 — the first day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, traditionally celebrated as Farmers’ Day in Kerala.