Kerala - Alappuzha   

Paddy farmers to protest against patent Bill on seeds

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, JAN. 25. The Paddy Farmers' Action Council that includes various organisations of farmers and agriculture labourers of Kuttanad will organise a prolonged agitation in Kuttanad against the Patent Bill on seeds proposed by the Union Government.

A convention of farmers and agriculture labourers will be held at Mampuzhakkari in Kuttanad on January 27. According to Fr. Thomas Peelianikkal of the Kuttanad Vikasana Samithy, who is the convener of the action council, traditional farmers and labourers of Kuttanad will join hands to oppose the bill.

Seed production

Fr. Peelianikkal said the Janata Dal leader M.P. Veerendra Kumar would inaugurate the convention. The proposed Bill was likely to hand over the right of seed production from farmers to multinationals, he said.

He said the Bill would destroy the rich diversity of paddy seeds in the State. Farmers of Kuttanad were likely to lose their rights over various varieties of paddy seeds traditionally cultivated by them, he said.

Fr. Peelianikkal said the Mampuzhakkari convention would be the first agitation in the country against the proposed Bill.

It will be followed by more protests. Farmers were planning to hold a Parliament march if the Union Government did not revoke the move, he said.

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Paddy farmers to protest against patent Bill on seeds

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