Young Wayanad farmer opens museum showcasing 350 varieties of paddy seeds

Batheri: Thayyil Praseed Kumar, a young farmer who has dedicated his life to cultivation and conservation of paddy seeds, has now taken anothe step forward by launching a museum that showcases hundreds of varieties of paddy seeds.

The museum, built in the style of a traditional Kerala-style pathayam (cellar) close by his house near Chungam Market in Batheri town, currently displays more than 350 varieties of paddy seeds. Established in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology under the Centre and the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council, the initiative is drawing wide attention.

Praseed was the recipient of the Plant Genome Saviour Award in 2023 for his efforts in conserving traditional paddy seed varieties. In his museum, each seed is carefully stored in glass jars, labelled with its name and unique features. To meet demand, he has also maintained a large stock of seeds in the museum’s godown for distribution. While visitors have already begun flocking to witness the rare display, Praseed is now looking to expand the collection to 1,000 varieties.

Praseed’s journey in establishing the museum began with the collection of a paddy variety called Krishna Kamod from outside Kerala. Over time, he travelled extensively across India, gathering different types of seeds. Among the more unusual ones is Annoori, sourced from tribal communities in the Sabarimala forests. This variety is sown in the morning and harvested by evening.

One of the prized possessions in his collection is the Ambemohar seed, a short-grain, highly aromatic rice from Maharashtra’s Maval region, famed for its fragrance and taste reminiscent of mango. His museum also boasts an array of black rice varieties such as Kalabathi, Kalabetti, Assam Black, Manipur Black, Black Jasmine, Karuppu Kauni, Kala Phool, Kala Namuk and Kunkumashali. Both the grains and the cooked rice of these varieties are black in colour. According to Praseed, just 100 grams of these highly medicinal varieties are sufficient for a person’s daily requirement.

Praseed had earlier captured public attention by planting colourful paddy saplings to create striking designs of India’s map, Buddha, Jesus, Mecca and Madinah, Adiyogi and love fish motifs in his fields. Artists A One Prasad and Pramod are collaborating with him in crafting these artistic landscapes.

His paddy seed museum is also fast emerging as a hub for students and researchers, eager to learn about biodiversity and the legacy of traditional rice.