Renowned Wayanad seed conservationist and Padma Shri winner Cheruvayal Raman passes away at 74

Renowned traditional paddy seed conservationist Cheruvayal Raman has passed away at the age of 74 on Wednesday. He was undergoing treatment for age-related health issues at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital. A native of Kammana in Edavaka, Wayanad, he was widely known as 'Nellachan', meaning the father of paddy, for dedicating his life to protecting native rice varieties.

Life and Work

Born in 1952 to Kelappan and Theyi from the Cheruvayal Kurichya ancestral lineage, he took charge of his family's farm, livestock, and traditional seeds at age 17 after his uncle passed away. Even though he faced hurdles in formal higher education, he built deep farming knowledge through his life experience. He successfully preserved many traditional rice seeds such as Kunnumkulamban, Peruvaka, Kuthicheera, Kunkumasali, Kunjunni, Onamottam, Onachanna, Vellimuthu, Kanakam, and Chembakam. He regularly gave these seeds to anyone who asked for them without taking any money.

Global Recognition

Throughout his life, Raman represented the farming community of Kerala on international stages. He attended events like the International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in Hyderabad in 2011 and a world agricultural seminar in Brazil. In total, he took part in global meetings across 11 countries. His work in protecting plant variety brought him many honors, including the Plant Genome Savior Award given by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. He received the Padma Shri in 2023 and also won the State government's first Oommen Chandy memorial award in 2025 for his great work in agriculture.

Context

Traditional seed conservation helps protect plant varieties from dying out and keeps local food systems strong against climate changes. Leaders like Raman play a key role in saving ancient farming knowledge that commercial farming often leaves behind. Such grassroot efforts ensure that farmers keep control over their seeds rather than depending entirely on corporate seed suppliers.