Tamil Nadu Seed Festival

The Save Our Rice Campaign organises the Nel Thiruvizha or Paddy Festival in Thiruthuraipoondi in the Thiruvarur district every year. It is one of the largest seed exchange programmes across the country. The festival displays a range of indigenous seed varieties like Mapillai Samba, Thanga Samba, Sornamusiri, Kichili Samba and many more. The farmers collect these seeds and multiply the seeds by cultivation and harvesting. Each year, these seeds are grown and delivered to the Nel Thiruvizha, where thousands of farmers willingly showed up to pick 2 kg of the variety of their preference. Some farmers come to collect these seeds for experimental purposes, some for cultivation and propagation. Throughout this festival, the exhibition hall is filled with stalls selling a wide range of indigenous seeds, rice, vegetable, and tuber items, as well as seedlings of different fruit and medicinal plant and tree species. Various experts and producer groups also establish educational booths during the event to enlighten farmers about agricultural tools, organic inputs, and expertise. Apart from farmers, tourists also pay-a-visit to this festival to gain knowledge on the native seeds available in the state.