Context:
The farmer’s family, which developed and promoted Keonjhar Kalachampa the paddy variety, is seeking a share of profits arising from the seed’s commercialisation.
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- If successful, it would mark the first instance of a farmer in Odisha being compensated under an initiative of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA).
- To prevent any bio-piracy and cornering of profits from the community’s resources / knowledge/ traditional practices by private commercial interest groups, it was felt that it is essential to follow the legal framework prescribed in the PPV&FR Act, and get the farmers’ varieties registered.
- Keonjhar Kalachampa is one of Odisha’s 780 paddy varieties registered with the PPV&FRA.
Keonjhar Kalachampa:
- Notified in 2015, it is among the first traditional varieties of farmers in India to be integrated into the formal seed supply chain.
- This local variety of paddy has an impressive yield of 96 quintals/ hectare (fresh) or 75 quintals/ hectare (dry).
Key Features
- Kalachampa has dark pink leaves in the lower canopy
- It shows moderate tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress.
- It can resist brown plant hopper with high amylose content.
- Disease and Pest Tolerance: Performs well under field conditions in coastal Odisha
- Sowing Flexibility: It is suitable for both timely and late sowing.
- Non-lodging: Resistant to bending or falling over
Origin and Registration
- The paddy variety was first registered in the name of Anirudha Jena, a farmer of Guhalia village in Anandpur block of Odisha.
- After his death, registration was transferred to his son, Mr. Jayant Jena, in 2025.
- The Indian government notified the variety in 2015 after it was officially released by the State Seed Sub-Committee following the recommendation of the Agriculture and Food Production Directorate, Odisha.
Seed Production and Distribution
- The State Seed Testing Laboratory (SSTL) has taken the responsibility of producing the breeder seeds, or genetically pure seed, since 2016.
- The Orissa University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) had taken the responsibility of producing the seed, while the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) and private companies are marketing the variety.
- OSSC alone has produced and distributed more than 87,000 quintals of certified seed of this variety from 2018 to 2023
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA)
- The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) was established in 2005 to implement the PPV&FR Act, 2001.
- This Act aims to protect plant varieties, recognize farmers’ rights, and encourage the development of new plant varieties in India.
- This organisation is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, that protects plant varieties and farmers’ rights in India.