Mangaluru
Amai BK Devarao, resident of Mittabagilu in the taluk, who has collected hundreds of breeds of plants of paddy and other agricultural produce and grown them, was awarded the National Plant Breeder Conservator Farmer Award. The award was presented by the President Draupadi Murmu in New Delhi.
In total, 10 farmers across the country and two from Karnataka received the award. The prize contains Rs 1.5 lakh in cash, a certificate and plaque.
Devarao has numerous kinds of breeds of paddy including 117 of Karnataka, 25 of Kerala, 10 of Tamil Nadu, five of West Bengal, two of Maharashtra and one each from Andhra, Uttara Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Delhi, Jharkhand, Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
Devarao’s son B K Parameshwar Rao is the backbone of his father’s achievement and has founded seed ban. He gives a handful of paddy of the breed that is in his father’s stock. The farmer who takes handful of paddy should return two handfuls of paddy to Devaraj. This helps in growing various breeds in many places and also give others who demand the same.An elated Devarao said, receiving award from the president of our country in the presence of representatives of more than 150 countries was a very happy moment for me. In coming days, I will collect more breeds and also grow them.
